This recipe was part of the Food Fight: Macaroni and Cheese Challenge which ended Feb 29, 2008 04:00 PM. See winners »
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The Smirking Pig's Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
By flavobean
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Total Time:
1 hour
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Active Time:
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Makes:
10 servings
This is my tried and true macaroni and cheese recipe. You can eschew eggs and fancy cheeses. All you need is
INGREDIENTS
- 4 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted)
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cups of whole milk
- 1 pound of extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated (should be two cups)
- 1 pound of mild cheddar cheese, grated (should be two cups)
- 1 pound box dried macaroni
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt butter over medium heat in large saucepan. Once melted add flour and cayenne pepper to make a roux. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook roux until it takes a nice deep blonde color, about 5–7 minutes. Don’t let it get to dark (a dark roux won’t thicken properly).
- Add milk to the roux, half a cup at a time, stirring until smooth before adding next addition. The mixture should be smooth and thick. If it’s too thick, add more milk in 1/4 cup increments. If it’s too thin, you will have to start over.
- Once your bechamel is to your liking, begin to add the grated cheeses in small increments, stirring each addition until smooth and incorporated. When finished, reduce heat to low.
- Cook macaroni according to directions on box. Drain and rinse.
- Add cheese sauce to macaroni. Bake in ove proof dish for 30 minutes until slightly firm. Top with additional cheddar cheese if you like.
Member recipes are not tested by the CHOW food team.
Toodie Jane,
Thanks for the info! I'll have to try this out.
You CAN fix a "too-thin roux" especially in a dish like this.
Nuke 1 T butter till soft in a 1 qt bowl. With the back of a spoon, add 1 T flour, mashing flour into butter against the side of the dish till well blended. The add about 1 c hot roux and whisk till well incorporated. Now add slowly to the main roux, whisking continally. This shoud repair the roux; one tablespoon of raw flour should not be discernable in the cheesy sauce.
I often use this to thicken stews and soups if I've misjudged the liquid.