I developed this recipe to satisfy my craving for comfort! There is nothing like a hot, creamy pile of Mac n’ Cheese after a hard day of work.
What is really special about my Mac n’ Cheese is the accompanying video, “Mac Daddy n’ Cheese” which can be viewed here: http://www.averagebetty.com/?p=104 This is the #1 downloaded pasta recipe from my website 😉
- Yields: 4-6 main course / 8-12 side dish
- Total: 30 minutes
- Active: 20 minutes
Ingredients (8)
- 3 cups uncooked large elbow macaroni noodles
- 1 1/2 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/4 cup (fat-free) milk
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. flour
Instructions
- Go crazy… try different cheeses too! Shred Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheese.
- Boil macaroni noodles until tender (not al dente, about 9 minutes). Rinse cooked noodles with cold water. Set aside.
- In a heavy skillet, melt butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add flour to make a roux. (From Merriam-Webster Online: roux (’ru ) French, from beurre roux or, brown butter. A cooked mixture of flour and fat used as a thickening agent in a soup or a sauce.)
- Lower temperature to medium-low and stir mixture continuously until golden, nutty and smooth. Be careful not to scorch.
- Add fat-free milk slowly while stirring. Add 1 cup shredded cheddar and keep stirring. Do not allow to boil or your cheese sauce will “break.” Add 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese and keep stirring. Sauce will be thickened and smooth.
- Turn off the heat on the stove, and turn on your broiler.
- Add cooked macaroni noodles to cheese sauce and fold to coat noodles. Incorporate 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese into cheese sauce coated noodles. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Stop here for a “stove top” style or…
- Broil until top is golden brown and crispy. (The way Betty likes it!)