What’s not to love about elbow pasta swimming in a bowl of warm, creamy cheese? My childhood memories of macaroni and cheese are my mother’s ingenious version of mac and cheese. Since we always had some spaghetti noodles in the refrigerator, she recognized that she could simply pull out some already cooked noodles and cover them with a slice of American cheese. Microwave for a minute or two and mix the noodles with the melted cheese. Voila. Homemade mom-style mac and cheese. She predated Amy’s frozen-section single serving mac and cheese by at least ten years.
My son, Jude, loves mac and cheese. Since I don’t always have time to make homemade mac and cheese, he will, thankfully, suffice with Kraft, Amy’s, or Panera. When we are in the mood for a treat, this homemade mac and cheese is a novelty weeknight dinner. And unlike other recipes that might include an egg, this recipe will reheat in the microwave the next day with ease.
Feel free to experiment with the types of cheese in this recipe and use what you have readily available in your refrigerator. If you have fresh white truffle in your refrigerator, then this mac and cheese is the perfect vehicle with which to inundate your taste buds with earthen white truffle flavor. Simple shave some white truffle over the top immediately before serving. You can thank me later. If you have some lobster meat just lying around in your refrigerator, then lobster meat dipped in butter would be a delightful companion to this mac and cheese. And then there is bacon, which my Jewish husband cannot get enough of. Never tried crumbled bacon on your mac and cheese? Today is the day.
Mac & Cheese
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Description
What’s not to love about elbow pasta swimming in a bowl of warm, creamy cheese
Ingredients
- 4 Tbs butter
- 4 Tbs flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 4 ounces fontina cheese, grated
- 4 ounces smoked gouda, grated
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 ounces parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1–pound cooked elbow macaroni with 1 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir continuously until for 3- 5 minutes until color is slightly golden. Gradually add the milk (mixture will initially try to clump but don’t worry just keep whisking). Add the mustard powder and nutmeg and stir to combine.
- Add the cheeses and stir well to combine. Cook for about 5 minutes until cheese well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
- Remove from heat and stir in the elbow macaroni. The pasta will initially look like there is too much sauce but the macaroni will quickly absorb the sauce as it sits. If it gets too dry, just add some of the reserved pasta water (1/4 cup at a time, as needed) to thin the sauce back out to the desired consistency.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Sides
- Cuisine: Southern
Keywords: Southern, Mac and Cheese