Creamy-Cheesy Mac and Cheese
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Time
prep 0:30
total 1:00
Ingredients
| 5 slices | white sandwich bread, crusts removed if they're tough | | 8 tbsp. | unsalted butter, divided | | Salt to taste | | 1 lb. | elbow macaroni | | 1 clove | garlic, minced | | 1 tsp. | dry mustard | | 1/4 tsp. | cayenne pepper | | 6 tbsp. | all purpose flour | | 1-3/4 cup | chicken stock or | | broth | | 3-1/2 cup | half and half | | 1 lb. | Colby cheese, shredded | | 8 oz. | mild cheddar cheese, shredded & not aged | | ground black pepper, to taste |
1 Recipe Reviews
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This mac 'n cheese is luxurious and a bit sinful. It's probably best eaten in moderation...even though it's so easy to go back for second and third helpings.
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Instructions
Note before cooking: You may want to read this recipe and assemble the ingredients before starting to cook this recipe. Many ingredients are called for with little or no time to gather the ingredients once you've started cooking.
1. For the macaroni casserole topping, melt 2 tbsp. butter. Process the bread with melted butter in a food processor until bread is coarsely ground, about six 1-second pulses. Set topping aside.
2. For the macaroni and cheese casserole itself, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in your largest Dutch oven over high heat. Stir in 1 tbsp. of salt and the 16 oz. macaroni. Cook, stirring occasionally, until ad dente, for ONLY 5 MINUTES (it will bake for 30 minutes longer). Drain the pasta and leave in the colander: set colander aside.
3. Wipe the pot dry. Add the remaining 6 tbsp. butter to the pot and return to medium heat until melted. Add the garlic, mustard, and cayenne. Cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly until golden, about 1 minute.
4. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and half and half; bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often until large bubbles form on the surface and the mixture is slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Off the heat, whisk in the Colby and Cheddar gradually until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and stir, breaking up any clumps, until well combined. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle the top with the bread-crumb topping made in step #1 above. Don't worry- the casserole will look watery and runny! It will firm up completely when baked.
7. Bake until golden brown and bubbling around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Author's Comments
This is the most luscious macaroni and cheese casserole recipe that I've found. I think I originally saw it on a CBS morning show.
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