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The Best Authentic Macaroni and Cheese Recipe - Gourmet Mac n Cheese
By Mark Knowles
Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Macaroni and cheese comes from the Italian Maccheroni Cacio e Burro, which means "Macaroni and Cheese and Butter," which will make sense once you see the ingredients I use for my version of this classic dish.
Cooking is NOT hard. You can do it, all you need is a little time, the will to do it and a large glass of wine. See? Easy.
This is a real family favorite, and this recipe is easily adjusted to suit your own personal preferences or family foibles.
No offense to Kraft macaroni and cheese in a box, but this is 110% better, healthier and actually tastes like cheese. Mainly because there’s cheese in it as opposed to “cheese flavored food product” whatever that is. As I mentioned, the Italian name for this dish is actually “macaroni and cheese and butter” and there is a fair amount of butter in this dish. You can use whatever cheese you like for this dish. American or English cheddar, or mix it up and use whatever is in the fridge. The only cheeses I have found NOT to work for this dish are strong blue cheeses. In the pictures, I have used Beaufort for this.
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You will need:
Equipment:
- One large saucepan
- One medium saucepan
- One wooden spoon
- One oven proof dish
- A cheese grater (if you don’t have a grater, you can slice the cheese instead)
Ingredients:
- One pound dried Macaroni
- A stick of butter (1/4 pound)
- 4 tablespoons of flour
- One pound cheese (almost any cheese will do)
- 1 ½ pints of milk
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder (if you don’t have powder, use a tablespoon of Dijon)
- A bottle of wine
First, open the wine and pour a glass, sip.
Next, cook the pasta. Boil in salted water for one minute less than the instructions on the box. Drain and pour into the oven proof dish.
While the pasta is cooking, grate the cheese and keep to one side. If you don’t have a grater, just slice the cheese into thin strips.
Next, take the small saucepan and melt the butter. When the butter is melted add 4 tablespoons of flour and cook over a medium heat stirring constantly. This is important. Keep stirring, DO NOT STOP STIRRING. Cook for about two minutes.
Take the saucepan off the heat and add the mustard, then pour the milk into the flour and butter, slowly, stirring all the time. This is to stop the sauce going lumpy. If you make a mistake and the sauce does go lumpy, you can save it by using a whisk or a blender.
Now return the saucepan to the heat and bring to a gentle boil. IMPORTANT – Keep stirring.
When the sauce begins to thicken, turn the heat down low and add three quarters of the cheese. Keep stirring. When the cheese has melted, pour the sauce over the pasta and stir it to make sure the pasta is completely covered.
I cannot really say this is one of my healthy pasta recipes, but - who cares? I have used penne pasta, but you can use anything else instead.
Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the mixture and place in a medium hot oven for about 20 minutes, or until the surface goes brown. When it is ready it will look like this.
Serve with a salad, or whatever you like. I served this one with fishcakes (see fishcake recipe) and a sliced Roma tomato.
This recipe makes enough for about eight servings. The reason I do such a large one is that it makes great leftovers and freezes well.
Bon Apetit !
Comments
I'm printing this off to try this weekend! I don't like to cook much, but this looks like it should be simple enough. Thanks!
My pleasure.
wow i didn't you can cook Mark!...Great hub...
Thanks Doji. It's one of my favorite psatimes :D
Talk about the "soft" side of the dragon LOL
LOL Even Dragons need to eat. :D
Excellent directions and recipe! Thank you! I started making homemade macaroni and cheese this year (pretty close to your recipe, actually) and it is my better half's favorite meal. Not low calorie, but OMG is there anything better? I love these old time comfort foods. Once you have the real thing you'll never go back. Death to imitation cheese food! lol!
Thanks :)
It is one of my favorite foods. Low calorie? Huh - the word should be banned :)
My son is an expert with mac and cheese. I'll make it and let you know if it passes the test :)
Yum-o! I can't wait to try your recipe. Macs & Cheese is THE best comfort food ever. But one question -- after that first glass/sip of wine, what happens to the rest of the bottle:-)?
RGraf - I look forward to hearing the results :)
Mighty Mom - You drink the rest, but I didn't want to sound like a lush lol
I'm really hungry after reading this yum!!! You are talkin' my language. =))
Sounds great, will try this one on Friday. You say almost any cheese will do, but will appreciate your favorite cheese for this recipe?
Those calories are great, I'm a cyclist, I need them!!
THanks guys
jellyrug - my personal preference is a strong English cheddar.
Try it adding some guiness and bass (black and tan) in the bechamel, then for the cheese use 1/3 cheddar and the rest a good Irish cheese (I used dubliner!) It was damn fantastic!!!
That sounds good Joe. I will have to try that one .Thyanks.
This recipe looks delicious. I copied it down and will try it this week. Thanks for posting it.
I've beem caving home-made macaroni and cheese for months now. I might have to try this recipe.
Oh my God! I love this dish and your looks and sounds fabulous. I will definitely being serving this for dinner. I cannot wait. Thanks! Teresa
I really enjoy authentic homemade macaroni and cheese dishes. It sure beats K&D! The nice thing about a good macaroni cheese dish is it can act as a great side dish to the main dish or as the main dish on its own. Great share!
im excited this sounds easy and simple. too many mac and cheese recipes out there call for a thousand ingredients, including like 5 different kinds of cheese. i like how this one is so non-complicated. thankyou so much for sharing this
I am actually craving for a piece of macaroni and cheese. and reading your own version of it makes me feel relieved because it ain't so hard to make. i thought i'll be needing a chef to get me one. hahahaha! thanks for posting your recipe! :)
We just made this part of our thanksgiving meal. I may have cheated a bit and used a small slice of velveeta cheese and no Dijon mustard, but it was awesome. Especially because I measured nothing. Other than the velveeta, we used mozzarella and mild cheddar cheeses.
Mark what if you want to just cook it for order? Just put the cooked pasta in the sauce pan?
hmmm....spices? I would have to recommend salt, white pepper and maybe a little dash of nutmeg~
Mark Knowles 4 years ago
Me too.