Let’s Cook: Creamy Mac and Cheese

by RogerMay 30, 2019

On today’s episode we are “live cooking” through the king of BBQ side dishes and potluck superstar, creamy mac and cheese. This is a great dish to learn more about making a roux and bechamel, one of the five mother sauces. If you’ve never tried homemade mac and cheese before you should definitely give this one a shot; it’s easy and a crowd pleaser!

Listen to the episode for the complete cook-through and scroll down to find the recipe at the bottom of the page.

Equipment mentioned in this episode

You don’t really need any fancy gear to put together an awesome mac and cheese. But if you need a few suggestions, here is what I recommend:

For boiling your pasta, any large pot will do. If you don’t already have one, a nice colander can make draining pasta much easier. I’m not a fan of plastic ones so try to find a decent quality stainless steel colander that will last years.

Another kitchen necessity is a thick-bottomed sauce pan, perfect for making sauces. Again, stainless steel is a great option. There are many very expensive brands on the market, but Cuisinart makes a pretty good option for a reasonable price. Don’t forget a good steel whisk!

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Creamy Mac and Cheese

Author: Roger
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

Start off with a simple Bechamel sauce and end up with a rich, creamy, crowd-pleasing mac and cheese!

Ingredients

Scale

3 cups elbow macaroni noodles, dry
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2–1/2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
pinch ground cayenne
3 to 4 cups of shredded cheese (cheddar or a combination of cheddar, gruyere, fontina, or other).

Instructions

Cook macaroni noodles according to package directions for “al dente.” Drain and set aside.
Heat a heavy-bottom sauce pan over medium heat. Add butter to melt. Add flour and use whisk to mix with butter to create a roux. Cook roux, stirring constantly, until raw flour taste is cooked out but roux is still light-colored, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Slowly add milk about a half a cup at a time. Continue stirring and adding milk until mixture comes just to a boil and thickens. Reduce heat to low.
Stir in ground mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, and cayenne. Then stir in cheese about 1 cup at a time, making sure cheese is melted smooth before adding more. When all cheese is incorporated, stir sauce into macaroni noodles until well mixed and serve immediately.