Hey Reader(s)! Remember when I used to do Recipe of the Week? Well I asked my friend Kerry of Raising June to send me this incredible Mac & Cheese recipe she makes earlier in the week. She is a freelance writer and mother of 2 girls, ages 3 1/2 and 9 months, so I expected (and deserved) a quick link to a recipe, a kindly worded "are you KIDDING me" 2 sentence brush-off reply or no response at all. She not only sent me a detailed recipe, but her response reminded me of my old Recipe of the Week posts. So I asked her if I could post it on my blog. I guaranteed her insta internet fame so make sure you tell all your friends.
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| Spiderman guards Mac & Cheese groceries. |
RETURN OF THE MAC (and cheese)
Mama,
I’m sorry this has taken me all day, but… you know how it is.
Anyway — M&C. Totally easy. I can’t remember from whence this recipe originated, so I have no —
Shit, June just pissed herself. Hold on….
Ok, I’m back.
What was I saying? Oh yeah, I have no exact measurements to give you, so I’m just winging it here.
I start with determining how big of a crowd I’ll be feeding. That last batch we had during our fun memorial day lunch, I believe I used about three cups of pasta. That sort of determines everything. Three cups of pasta means three tbsp of flour, three tbsp of butter, etc., etc.
So yeah, if you’re thinking, like, four people plus leftovers, three is a good way to go… but so is the whole damn box, too, so … scratch that. Let’s pretend you’re feeding a crowd and go with the whole box. Here goes.
Start a big old pot of water on the boil.
In smaller pot, melt 4 TBSP of butter over med heat. When that’s melted, add 4 TBSP of flour. Whisk until a paste (roux) forms and continue to whisk until it gets a little toastier — another minute or two. Add four cups of milk. I seem to recall them saying “slowly, and whisk until incorporated” but who’s got time for that shit? I dump it in, whisk to get out the lumps, sip some cheap wine, whisk for another minute, and so on. I keep an eye on the heat, at this point, since it should be sort of a very medium to low bubble. If it’s roiling, it’s burning. At this point, add kosher salt (a couple Tsps — seems like a lot, but it needs it), pepper (as much as you like), a pinch of nutmeg, a pinch of cayenne, and about 3/4 tsp of ground mustard. Keep that whisking up, girl. When you can, of course.
In the meantime, your water is boiling. Add a pound of pasta. Elbow macaroni is traditional but I sort of like the funky shapes and tubes and stuff. It doesn’t matter. Just cook it a minute or two shy of al dente.
Back to the béchamel. At this point, shit’s getting real. And thick. keep stirring until it’s about the consistency of buttermilk / thanksgiving gravy. When it gets to that point, turn off the heat. Hopefully your pasta is just about ready. Drain it, put it back in the big pot, and then add the béchamel. Add a bunch of shredded sharp cheddar and stir until it gets all melty and gooey and mac-and-cheesy. You’ll need close to an entire 16 oz bag (or block if you prefer to shred yourself. But again, who the fuck has time for that??). I usually throw in a handful of grated parm, too. Mix that business up and pour into a casserole dish. Top with bread crumbs or panko. Add about 1-2 TBSP of ice-cold butter cut up into small cubes. Sprinkle some more cheddar and parm on top amidst the butter cubage.
Bake uncovered for 30 or so minutes at 350. Oftentimes I wind up broiling it for a few minutes at the end to get the top all crispy and bubbly, but that’s not necessary.
God, I hope I didn’t forget a step. Oh, after the béchamel and cheese is mixed in with the pasta, I always taste it for seasoning, adding more if it’s too bland.
And if you’re going smaller? Like I said, the cups of pasta determine what the other measurements are, so it’s a pretty easy adjustment.
Let me know if you have any questions.
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