Mac and cheese for company
Complexity: easily
Servings: 8
Serving size: 1 of 20 servings
Calories 289, total fat 16 G., saturated fats 9 G., proteins 13 G., carbohydrates 23 G., fiber 1 G., cholesterol 47 mg, sodium 262 mg, sugar 4 G.
“Macaroni and cheese holds a special place in my heart,” says Sunny Anderson. “My mom made her own mac ‘n’ cheese only on holidays, and the rest of the time it was just the pre-made kind. As an adult, I created my Spicy Mac ‘n’ Cheese recipe, which I credit with making my former catering company a success. That company also brought me to the Food Network, so my love affair with mac ‘n’ cheese is real! On a 2016 episode of The Kitchen, the co-hosts, two guests, and I attempted to make the perfect mac ‘n’ cheese for Thanksgiving. We each added our own secret ingredient, and the result was mac ‘n’ cheese topped with a velvety béchamel sauce, cheddar, and Gruyere. It was a no-bake version.” For the pasta base, we chose cavatappi (my idea), topped it with Brussels sprouts, pumpkin, and a toasted breadcrumb topping. It turned out pretty good, but the audience thought too many cooks spoil the broth, and they started debating what the perfect mac 'n' cheese should be. Then I thought, why not post a poll on Twitter so mac 'n' cheese aficionados could share their favorites? Below is the recipe for the final product. Some people like it with the topping, some without... Friendship won. We made both. Choose your side!
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.
Ingredients for the recipe:
- 450 g of pasta horns
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
- 1/3 cup premium flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1.5 tsp mustard powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 220 g)
- 2 cups grated Gouda (about 220 g)
- 1.5 cups grated mild cheddar (about 170 g)
- 1/2 cup crushed butter crackers (such as Ritz)
- 0.5 cup crushed potato chips
We recommend
Cooking the dish according to the recipe:
- Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 22x32 cm baking pan with butter.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
- Meanwhile, melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until smooth and light golden, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth, then add the mustard powder, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens slightly, 7-8 minutes. Stir the cheeses into the sauce one at a time, allowing each cheese to melt before adding the next.
- Stir in the cooked pasta to coat, adding more of the cooking water if necessary if the sauce is too thick. It's okay if the sauce is thin—it will thicken as it bakes.
- Transfer the macaroni and cheese to a baking dish. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, then mix in the crushed crackers and chips. Sprinkle the mixture over half of the mac and cheese.
- Bake until top is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
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