Oh boy, is this stuff good.
Truly, I’ll eat just about any mac & cheese, simply because I love it all. So maybe now you don’t trust my mac & cheese opinion, but you really should. I’ve tried a lot of different macs & it takes a lot for me to say it’s good mac.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still probably eat bad mac & be happy ( because I’m eating mac & cheese. ) That’s how much I love it! For it to be good mac it has to hit a few points for me…
- The noodles cannot be mushy. Uck! Cannot. It’s so important to undercook the noodles before you bake them.
- It cannot be dry. Again, before you bake the mac it needs to look suuuuuuper saucy.
- It needs to have something crispy. Whether it’s the cheese or a form of topping, I need a little textural change.
See! I’m not asking for much, just perfectly tender, saucy mac with a little crunch.
And hey! This recipe hits all those point. Wow! Isn’t that crazy? It’s almost like I planned it….
xx
ellyn
SERVINGS: 4-6 (depending on if eating as main dish or side!)
TIME: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup half & half
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire
• 4 oz white cheddar cheese
• 4 oz monterey jack cheese
• 4 oz goat cheese
• 4 oz romano cheese
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup panko mixed with 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 2 cups elbow pasta
• ½ cup reserved pasta water
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Cook pasta in salted, boiling water. Cook extra al dente – about 3 minutes less than what the box advises.
3. In a large skillet melt butter. Add flour over medium heat. Whisk together for 1-2 minutes until the butter/flour mixture is golden brown. * this is a roux!
4. Slowly add in half & half, continually whisking. Simmer on medium low for 5 minutes until beginning to thicken.
5. Reduce heat to low. Add in Dijon mustard & worcestershire. * you can also add in a couple dashes of hot sauce!
6. Slowly add in shredded cheese about a ½ cup at a time, whisking until melted in before adding more.
7. If the sauce becomes too thick, add in the pasta water a little at a time until desired consistency.
8. Season with salt & pepper.
9. Mix in pasta.
10. Add mac to oven safe dish & top with the panko/butter mixture.
11. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden & bubbly.
12. Enjoy!
