Mac and cheese

Name: Mac and cheese
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 250 g elbow macaroni; 40 g butter; 40 g plain flour; 500 ml milk, at room temperature; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 250 g mature cheddar, grated; 50 g Gruyère or Emmental, grated; salt, pepper, pinch of nutmeg; for the topping: 3 tbsp breadcrumbs and 1 tbsp melted butter

Time: 35 min4 servingsapprox. 650 kcal / serving (estimated)approx. 27 g protein / serving

Mac and cheese is the quintessential American comfort food: macaroni folded into a cheese sauce. A good one is silky, not grainy, with a sharp cheese flavour rather than a hard or oily one. It all comes down to fifteen minutes of stirring and handling the cheese correctly.

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Method

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Cook the macaroni in plenty of salted water for 1 minute less than the packet says, then drain.
Meanwhile melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring, without letting it brown (a roux).
Gradually whisk in the milk and cook for 4-5 minutes until thickened and it coats the back of a spoon.
Take off the heat and stir in the mustard, garlic powder and nutmeg, then the cheese in small batches until smooth; season with salt and pepper.
Fold the pasta into the cheese sauce.
Serve at once; for the baked version pour into an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with the crumbs and bake at 200 °C for 15 minutes.

A Receptnaptár original recipe. Calories and protein are estimated.

Tips

Melt the cheese in off the heat, otherwise it turns grainy and oily.
Grate it yourself: pre-grated cheese contains anti-caking agents that spoil the melt.
Cook the pasta slightly firm, as it keeps softening in the sauce or the oven.
It keeps in the fridge for 3 days; add a little milk when reheating.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my cheese sauce grainy?

The sauce was too hot when the cheese went in, or cooked too long; take it off the heat and melt the cheese in in small batches.

Which cheese is best?

Sharp cheddar gives the flavour; Gruyère, Emmental or Gouda give creaminess.

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