Entrees
Old-Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese
Makes 8 servings
Old-Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese
Makes 8 servings
Extra-creamy, this will become a family favorite.
Nutritional information per serving:Calories 319 (44% from fat) carb. 32g pro. 12g fat 15g sat. fat 10g chol. 43mg sod. 429mg calc. 260mg fiber 1g
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- ½ pound elbow macaroni
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 6 ounces cheese (we use a variety of Cheddar, Gruyère and Monterey Jack for ultimate creaminess and flavor), this will make about 2 cups of shredded cheese
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- Dash hot sauce
- ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
Preparation
- Lightly coat a 9-inch square or round baking pan with cooking spray; reserve.
- Cook macaroni according to the package instructions.
- Drain pasta and rinse under cold water.
- Toss with the olive oil to prevent sticking; reserve.
- While the pasta is cooking, fit a medium shredding disc into a food processor. Shred the cheese; reserve.
- Put the butter into a medium saucepan set over medium heat.
- Once melted, stir in the flour until smooth.
- Continue to cook, constantly stirring, for about 2 minutes to cook the flour.
- While whisking, slowly add the milk to the butter/flour mixture. Raise the heat slightly to bring the milk to a boil, while stirring.
- Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, stirring so a film does not form on the bottom of the pot.
- Cook until the sauce becomes very thick, about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Once thickened, stir in the shredded cheeses until sauce is smooth.
- Add the salt, ground mustard, nutmeg, hot sauce and then the macaroni, stirring to combine.
- Remove from heat.
- Preheat oven on Bake at 350°F with the rack in the lower position.
- Pour the macaroni and cheese into the prepared pan.
- Scatter the breadcrumbs on the top and loosely cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove the foil and switch the oven to Broil for an additional 5 minutes to brown the top.
