Macaroni and Cheese really needs no introduction. It has been a classic family favorite for many, many years and nothing, in my opinion, beats the homemade version!
This dish is not difficult to make – it’s basically a cook the pasta and make a simple cheese sauce kind of dish. Use any good quality aged cheddar cheese available in your area. I recommend using an aged cheddar for this dish as it will have the most flavor.
Mac ‘n Cheese is lovely served with a green salad of choice and a fresh batch of biscuits or crusty bread or rolls. It is also lovely to accompany a sandwich of choice.
This pasta dish is a staple, year-round in my freezer as it freezes and reheats well. It’s convenient to have on hand for those days when only a comfort food will do. If freezing it, I recommend not cooking it in the oven before freezing.
Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients:
2 cups dry elbow macaroni
3 tbsp butter
2 cups whole milk, room temperature
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp dry mustard powder
1/8 tsp cayenne
Pinch nutmeg
Olive oil (for drizzling cooked macaroni)
2 cups shredded aged cheddar cheese
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp sour cream, room temperature
Method:
Grease 2-quart casserole or individual serving size oven-safe baking dishes of desired size. Preheat oven to 325°F.
Cook macaroni according to package directions.
While pasta is cooking, melt butter in separate saucepan over medium heat. Combine flour and cornstarch and whisk into butter until mixture starts bubbling, approximately less than 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is heated, smooth, and starts to thicken. Add the shredded cheddar cheese, grated parmesan cheese, and sour cream. Stir until cheeses are melted and ingredients fully blended. Reduce heat to medium-low and season with the sea salt, dry mustard, paprika, nutmeg, and cayenne. Stirring constantly, cook mixture for approximately one minute longer. Remove from heat and set aside.
Drain cooked macaroni, reserving about 3 tablespoons of the cooking water. Return drained macaroni to the pot or a large heatproof bowl and drizzle lightly with olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking together. Toss gently to coat. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni and stir gently. If mixture is a bit drier than, or not as fluid as desired (different brands of pasta can absorb liquids differently), add liquid reserved from the macaroni cooking, adding the extra liquid only one-half tablespoon at a time, and adding only enough for the desired consistency (pasta may take some, but not all, of the liquid or none at all). Stir gently.
Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish or, alternatively, divide mixture equally between individual greased oven-safe ramekins or other single-serving baking dishes of desired size. Bake for 15-18 minutes (slightly less for individual baking dishes), or just until cheese starts to bubble around the edges of the casserole dish. Do not overbake. Serve immediately.
This Macaroni and Cheese freezes well, unbaked.
Yield: Apx. 4-5 servings
Note 1: For a really creamy macaroni and cheese, skip the oven baking and serve as soon as the cheese sauce is incorporated with the pasta.
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For Other Macaroni Recipes from My Island Bistro Kitchen, click the links below:
Lobster Macaroni and Cheese
Gluten-free and Lactose-Free Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni and Sausage Casserole
Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry elbow macaroni
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 cups whole milk, room temperature
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp dry mustard powder
- 1/8 tsp cayenne
- Pinch nutmeg
- Olive oil (for drizzling cooked macaroni)
- 2 cups shredded aged cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp sour cream, room temperature
Instructions
- Grease 2-quart casserole or individual serving size oven-safe baking dishes of desired size. Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Cook macaroni according to package directions.
- While pasta is cooking, melt butter in separate saucepan over medium heat. Combine flour and cornstarch and whisk into butter until mixture starts bubbling, approximately less than 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is heated, smooth, and starts to thicken. Add the shredded cheddar cheese, grated parmesan cheese, and sour cream. Stir until cheeses are melted and ingredients fully blended. Reduce heat to medium-low and season with the sea salt, dry mustard, paprika, nutmeg, and cayenne. Stirring constantly, cook mixture for approximately one minute longer. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Drain cooked macaroni, reserving about 3 tablespoons of the cooking water. Return drained macaroni to the pot or a large heatproof bowl and drizzle lightly with olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking together. Toss gently to coat. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni and stir gently. If mixture is a bit drier than, or not as fluid as desired (different brands of pasta can absorb liquids differently), add liquid reserved from the macaroni cooking, adding the extra liquid only one-half tablespoon at a time, and adding only enough for the desired consistency (pasta may take some, but not all, of the liquid or none at all). Stir gently.
- Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish or, alternatively, divide mixture equally between individual greased oven-safe ramekins or other single-serving baking dishes of desired size. Bake for 15-18 minutes (slightly less for individual baking dishes), or just until cheese starts to bubble around the edges of the casserole dish. Do not overbake. Serve immediately.
This Macaroni and Cheese freezes well, unbaked.
Recipe Notes
Yield: Apx. 4-5 servings
[Copyright My Island Bistro Kitchen]
Note 1: For a really creamy macaroni and cheese, skip the oven baking and serve as soon as the cheese sauce is incorporated with the pasta.
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