My #1 Requested Recipe: Mama-Style Mac & Cheese

In our family we have two kinds of mac & cheese, “Daddy-Style” and “Mama-Style”. “Daddy-Style” is the kind that comes out of a box and “Mama-Style” is the kind made from scratch. My kids love both, but Mama-Style Mac & Cheese is the one that the kids line up for when I make it for school events. It’s also a great cold-weather main dish when entertaining, I like to serve it with veggie sausages from the Vegan Dad. Best of all the dish gets better with age, just reheat it on the stove in a non-stick skillet so the cheese gets gooey and crusty, and it’s even better the second time around.

This mac & cheese recipe is my version of a Cook’s Illustrated classic that we modified for our preferences, which means we leave off the crumb topping. Also always, recipe will work best if you read it through first and have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start cooking.

THE RECIPE: MAMA-STYLE MAC & CHEESE

Ingredients

1 lb of elbow macaroni

1 T plus 1 t salt

5 T unsalted butter

6 T all-purpose flour

1 ½ t powdered mustard

5 c whole milk

8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 c)

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2c)

Instructions

1. Cook macaroni with 1T salt until al dente. When done drain in colander and set aside.
2. While pasta is cooking, start your sauce in a large Dutch oven. Heat butter over medium high heat until it starts to foam, whisk in flour and mustard until well combined, and then whisk continually for a full minute.
3. Slowly whisk in milk, keep whisking until mixture comes to a full boil. When it has reached a full boil reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened (about 5 minutes).
4. Remove from heat and whisk in the cheeses and 1 t salt until smooth, then stir in macaroni and return to heat for 2-3 minutes until fully heated through.