This is the most epic Mac and Cheese you will ever have the pleasure of putting down your gullet. Just in time for winter when we all crave those gooey, creamy treats on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Here are some pictures and simple instructions to help you recreate the magical goodness I made. The beautiful thing about this dish, besides how awesome it tastes, is that you can do whatever you want with the ingredients. Add whatever you like, and don’t add what you don’t like. Want some bacon? Throw it in! Don’t like Colby cheese? Don’t use it! This is simply the foundation for your creativity. Go bananas! (But I don’t think they’d be very good in this dish.)
*Note* An oven is not necessary, but I used one for two steps of the process. They can easily be omitted if you like.
First, put three cloves of garlic in a tin foil pouch, cover in olive oil and salt, and throw in your oven for 8-10mins at 210 degrees. Let it sit in the oven after it finishes while you work on everything else. Don’t worry about it, but make sure to turn off your oven and prop open the door.
You will need about 4 cups of macaroni noodles. Season with enough salt to make the water taste like it came from the ocean. Boil the pasta until it is extremely al dente. It should have a little bit of give, but still be quite crunchy. Drain the water, put the pasta back in the pot, and start on your sauce.
For the sauce you will need:
4 tablespoons of butter or margarine. I had a ton of this on hand and didn’t feel like buying real butter. It’s your choice, but I used this. Melt this in a large pot over low heat. When it is melted you will need to add:
1/4 cup of flour. Slowly whisk it into the butter over low heat. You are going to make a roux, one of the mother sauces of French cooking. Be proud, home cook! You can do it! Keep whisking for about 5 minutes. The butter/flour mixture will start to bubble and turn a slight brown color. This is good, but careful not to let it burn. You will need to keep your burner on low heat and be ready to add….
2 cups of whole milk
1/2 cup of cream
Using whole milk is incredibly important as the fat content is higher and it won’t cause separation to happen. You can omit the cream and sub another 1/2 cup of milk, but if you’re concerned about fat and calories, you should probably stop right here because it only gets worse. Slowly add these to the flour and butter and keep your heat on low because you don’t want your milk and cream to scald. Keep whisking until all the milk and cream is added. Your sauce will slowly start to thicken. While it is doing so, chop up that garlic that you roasted earlier, if you choose to use it, and grate your CHEEEEEEESE!!!!!
Here is what I used:
You will need about 1lb (453g) of cheese for this. I used the entire block of Colby and most of the mature cheddar. Whatever you do, DO NOT use Tillamook or Kirkland brand cheese for this. I’m American, but I’ve learned that British and New Zealand cheese is waaaay better than the large blocks of processed stuff you can buy elsewhere. However, you should use two slices of this for the smooth, creaminess that happens when it melts:
Of course, this is optional.
By now your roux should be nice and smooth. This is when you throw in the garlic and all the spice you want to add. You can try a plethora of stuff, but do not under season your sauce. Toss in some garlic, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, tarragon, onion powder, cooked bacon, sauteed onions, or whatever you’re craving. You should add some of this if you have it around as it is said to make the dish even better. I used it, so why not. I thought it was pretty tasty.
I used somewhere around 1/2 tbsp, but use as much or as little as you like. Mustard powder will also work if you have that around.
Now, throw in all that delicious cheese. Whisk together and watch it melt into a gooey pile of deliciousness.
When the cheese is melted, dump the macaroni into the cheese sauce. Mix together and taste for seasoning. Seriously. Do not hesitate to season, season, season. Taste as you add until you have enough.
At this point you can eat the mac and cheese as is, or you can go the next step with:
Panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese sprinkled on top before you pop it in the oven for another 8 minutes at 210 degrees or until it is golden brown and crunch on top. Personally, I wouldn’t skip this step as the crunch is a nice contrast with all the creaminess that the dish provides.
I had a TON leftover, so I put it in small foil pans and froze it once it was at room temperature. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did. It really is divine.
Ingredients:
4 c. macaroni, uncooked
3 cloves of garlic, roasted (optional)
4 tbsp. butter/margarine
1/4 c. flour
2 c. whole milk
1/2 c. cream
1lb. of cheese; your choice of combinations
2 slice of Velveeta singles (optional)
1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard (optional)
Generous amounts of salt, black pepper, and another other spices or ingredients to make the dish tasty to your palate
~1/4-1.5 c. panko bread crumbs
Pamesan cheese for sprinkling
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