I embarked on a journey to learn the science behind Mac and Cheese, and after lots of research, and lots of trial and error - I have finally created the best recipe! Posting just in time for Thanksgiving 🦃 and I hope you love it!
Some key takeaways from my mac and cheese research:
Boil the macaroni in salted water
Add olive oil (or truffle oil) to the macaroni after you strain it to prevent them from sticking
Shred your own cheese. Shredded cheese has additives that prevent it from clumping, which will affect the consistency of your mac and cheese.
Use a medium sharp cheddar to get the perfect flavor. Mild and extra sharp were a bit off when I tried them.
When making the roux, use room temperature milk. Cold milk takes longer to thicken, so measure your milk and then leave it out for around 15 minutes.
This recipe works without truffle, but I think it adds a great fun flavor!
Serves: 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
1 lb dried elbow pasta
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup all purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
4 cups medium sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (measure after shredding)
1 cup New Zealand Cheddar, shredded (optional - but I like adding in a bit of white cheddar)
2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded (measured after shredding)
3 Tbsp Boursin
0.5 Tbsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ Tbsp onion powder
½ tsp paprika
2 Tbsp garlic powder
3 tsp truffle powder
Process
Preheat oven to 350°
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add your macaroni and cook for 2 minutes less than the package directs so that it’s al dente (it’ll continue cooking later). Drain and drizzle with truffle or olive oil to keep from sticking.
While the macaroni is cooking, shred your cheeses and toss together to mix, then divide into three piles. Approximately 4 cups for the sauce, 1 1/2 cups for the inner layer, and 1 1/2 cups for the topping. Note: shred your own cheese! If you buy it pre shredded, they add chemicals to prevent it from clumping - which will affect the consistency of your mac and cheese. It’s more effort, but worth it
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in your flour and whisk to combine, cooking for approximately 1 minute. Whisk often. Then pour in about 2 cups milk, and continue whisking until it is fully uniform. Slowly pour in the remaining milk and whisking, until combined and smooth.
Continue whisking until the roux has thickened.
Remove from the heat and stir in spices. Slowly start adding in the cheese, stirring often until it melts and combines into a smooth cheesy mixture
In a large mixing bowl (or in the saucepan if you have space) combine the drained macaroni with the cheese sauce.
Pour half of the pasta mixture into the baking dish. Top with 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheeses, then top that with the remaining pasta mixture. Add the rest of the shredded cheese on top, so it can create a cheesy crust
Bake for 20 minutes, until cheesy is bubbly and lightly golden brown. Then broil for 3-5 minutes to get crisp
Serve with chives and Parmesan on top
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