Mac and Cheese

Recipe

Yield: 8 Servings

This is the best mac and cheese, it’s not the healthiest meal, but it’s such a crowd pleaser. Serve it with steamed broccoli, green beans, or a crisp salad. Also, for years I separated this recipe into two 8x8 pans and used one for dinner that night and put one in the freezer for another dinner (such a win). One 8x8 was enough to feed our family, but that just shifted and we now need the whole 9x13 for one dinner. All of that is a long way of saying that you might get two dinners out of this one prep or at least some good leftovers for lunch. Also, the first time you make this, it might feel like a lot of pots and pans and parts, but you get the hang of it.

4 cups of whole milk
1 stick butter
½ cup flour
8oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3oz pecorino, grated
1 tbsp salt plus more for salting the pasta water
1lb short pasta–I usually use short rigatoni or cavatelli, but any kind works
1 cup panko

Instructions

First, bring a large pot of water to boil.

In a large measuring cup, heat your milk in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until it’s just starting to bubble. Set aside.

Make your cheese sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the flour, whisking to combine. Continue to cook the butter and flour mixture (you’re making a roux!) until it starts to darken a little bit to a more golden brown. It takes three or four minutes and it doesn’t have to be so precise. Pour your milk into the butter flour mixture and cook, stirring, until it begins to thicken. Add the tablespoon of salt and both cheeses and continue to mix until all the cheese is melted. Continue to cook until the sauce is a little thicker than what will coat the spoon, but not gloppy. Turn off the heat.

Salt your pasta water and cook the pasta three minutes shy of what the box says. When it’s done, drain it and return it to the pot. Add the cheese sauce and mix until everything is evenly coated.

Transfer the pasta to one 9x13 or two 8x8 baking pans. At this point, the mac and cheese can be refrigerated (covered in foil) for 3 or 4 days, or frozen (wrapped well in foil and plastic wrap) for up to six months.

When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 375. Scatter panko over the mac and cheese and bake for 45 minutes or so until the top is browned and the cheese is bubbling. If cooking from frozen, just add an additional 15 minutes or so to the baking time.