Bake until the top is golden and crusty, about 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses evenly over the top. Add the flour to make a roux and cook, stirring, to remove any lumps.

Pour this over the macaroni, add the chunks of Cheddar, and mix until well blended put this into the prepared baking dish. And just so you know, aside from the baking, this easy macaroni and cheese took 15 minutes and only two pans to make. In a deep skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and add 1/2 the grated Cheddar and 1/2 the Parmesan stir until it is melted and smooth. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes until the sauce is thick. Strain the infused milk onto the roux, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook, stirring, for about 2 to 3 minutes don't let the roux color. In a large pot over medium heat add 2 tablespoons butter and the flour. An easy homemade Roux can be used to flavor and thicken soup, gravy, and macaroni and cheese as well as gumbo and cajun dishes. Remove from the heat and let the flavors infuse while you make the roux. Warm over medium low heat until the milk starts to steam, about 10 minutes. Put the milk into a saucepan and add the clove studded onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and mustard. Drain and toss it with 2 tablespoons butter set aside.Ĭoat a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter and set it aside. Older cheeses tend to have drier, crumbly textures-great for serving on their own, but not so much for melting.Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water until done, about 5 to 7 minutes. And when given the choice between young or aged fromage, you’ll want to stick to younger cheeses for mac and cheese purposes.

TBH, most cheeses can’t offer both qualities, but combining a few types will solve that problem. Ideally, the cheese is sharp and flavorful-neither too stinky or too bland-with a creamy, gooey texture when melted. But if the recipe doesn’t have a béchamel base, you’ll want to use a combination of cheeses: one for flavor and one that’s processed (like American cheese, cream cheese or Velveeta) for stability.īeyond that, the best cheeses for mac and cheese balance flavor with meltability. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. If you are starting with a béchamel, you won’t need to worry much about your sauce breaking or splitting (aka turning into a curdled, greasy mess).

In a large bowl, combine cheese and flour mixture with hot macaroni and stir to combine. While macaroni is cooking, combine 2 and 1/2 cups of cheese with flour, pepper, and ground mustard. Cook macaroni as directed on the package in salted water until tender, drain. Before you select a cheese for your mac, check the recipe: Does it call for making a béchamel? (That’s a white sauce made with a roux-flour cooked with butter-and dairy.) This will influence your cheese choice. Spray or grease a casserole dish or a 9×13 pan.

Easy roux for mac and cheese