Crooked macaroni. You can buy in bulk and at a cheaper price.
You will need butter. Ordinary salted butter.
And please note that I almost never use unsalted butter, except in a few select baking recipes.
All purpose flour.
whole milk. Suppose a picture of whole milk is placed on an invisible countertop.
dried mustard. I love this ingredient in macaroni and cheese. It provides zesty sharpness without injecting any distinct flavor.
One egg. trust me.
And cheese. A pound of beautiful, freshly grated cheese. Today we use all sharp cheddar cheese, but most often we mix different types of cheese: Colby, Monterey Jack, Fontina, mild cheddar, pepper jack… If you deny that it’s expensive… I even mix in a little Gruyère cheese.
But today, it’s always cheddar cheese.
Cook 4 cups dry macaroni until very “al dente”. Note that since the macaroni is mixed and then baked, it needs to be quite stiff when removed from the water. I usually test my macaroni noodles about 5 minutes into the cooking process. If it’s too firm to serve and eat right away, remove it from the stove and drain.
In short, undercook the macaroni! We’re sure you’ll love it!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
whisk the eggsIt’s a small bowl. Let’s set it aside.
Add about a teaspoon of salt to the water.
Next, melt 1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 4 tablespoons) of butter in a large pot or Dutch oven.
Sprinkle with the same amount (4 tablespoons) of flour.
Whisk the mixture over medium-low heat until completely combined (be careful not to burn!).
Then continue cooking for about 5 minutes, whisking constantly.
This is called a roux and is the basis for cream sauces and gravies.
Pour in 2 1/2 cups whole milk. You could use 1% or 2%, but why?
Seriously, I think the fat content in whole milk makes for creamier, tastier macaroni and cheese. But I’m not here to make anyone choose for them, so feel free to use low-fat dairy products.
Immediately throw it away to 2 heaping amount 1 teaspoon dry mustard.
Sure, you can add a teaspoon without being penalized, but taste two teaspoons first. If you like it, please add more.
Then whisk the mixture together and cook for about 5 minutes. It will be very thick, almost like a cream gravy.
At this point reduce the heat. Using a 1/4 cup measure, remove a small amount of the sauce.
Slowly pour a small amount of sauce into the beaten eggs…
Start whisking constantly so the eggs don’t cook.
Continue whisking until the mixture has cooled. This is called “tempering.” Rather than dumping the beaten eggs into the very hot mixture in the skillet (which will result in scrambled eggs), stir some of the hot mixture into the eggs.
Then, drop the warmed eggs into the pot.
Mix…
until fully combined.
Then add all but about 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Look at this wonderful cheesy taste.
Then stir until everything is melted. Now, turn off the fire.
Now it’s time to season! Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (I used Lawry’s). If you are sensitive to salt, start with a fairly low salt concentration and gradually increase it. Remember that cheese gives cheese a significant amount of salt. mix.
However, and this is important, be careful not to reduce the sodium content of your macaroni and cheese. You need enough salt to really bring out the flavors.
*I sometimes use paprika, cayenne pepper, and even ground thyme. Experiment with different ground spices to find what you like best.
Finally, add plenty of black pepper, a type of black pepper. To be honest, I love freshly ground pepper…but not homemade macaroni and cheese. For me, it has to be in powder form.
Now that’s what I’m talking about.
And guess what? Just steam some fresh broccoli and spoon it over the top. Children from all over the world show up on your doorstep.
Did you know that one serving of broccoli is rich in vitamin C?
Now all you have to do is throw in some drained, uncooked macaroni.
and stir the mixture together.
I like my macaroni to be creamy and coated, so I use a little less than the whole amount of cooked macaroni. Just add them according to your preference.
You can even eat it as is for a super creamy love fest…
Alternatively, you can pour the macaroni into a buttered baking dish. This is a 2 quart dish, but a 9 x 13 pan will also work just fine.
Next, put the remaining grated cheese on the plate.
Bake until cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Like this.
The secret to delicious baked macaroni and cheese is this crunchy top that hides a creamy, soft bottom.
Hello, sweetheart.
We’ve had a wonderful life together, haven’t we? Thank you for helping me grow.
Thank you for enriching my life.
And thank you for being the unpretentious, unsophisticated, authentic you.
enjoy!
