Weeknight · All year
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
A butter roux, milk, and cheddar. The cheese goes in off the boil so it melts instead of turning grainy.
45 minutes · Serves 6 · One 9-by-13-inch pan
“Everyone ate and was satisfied.”
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 4 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 12 oz cheddar, grated
- 2 tbsp butter, for the crumbs
- ½ cup dry breadcrumbs, or crushed crackers
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 375°F. Boil the macaroni in salted water until it is a minute shy of tender. Drain it. It will finish in the oven.
- 2
Melt the 4 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the milk. Simmer, whisking, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 5 minutes. Take it off the heat. Stir in the salt, pepper, and cheese until the cheese is melted.
- 3
Fold the sauce into the macaroni. Spread it in a buttered 9-by-13-inch pan. Melt the remaining butter, stir it into the crumbs, and scatter them on top.
- 4
Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges bubble and the top is golden. Rest 5 minutes. If the sauce looks oily, the heat was too high after the cheese went in. Low heat and patience are the fix next time.
From the kitchen
- Pre-grated cheese often has starch on it so it will not clump, and it melts worse. Grate a block.
- The sauce should be a little loose before baking. The pasta drinks it in the oven.
My note
Kept on this device, beside the recipe, for the next time you cook it.
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