Sunday, March 30, 2008

World's Best Mac & Cheese

Yes, it's been nearly 2 months and I haven't spoken. The underlings have been giving me heart palpitations and I try to think about them when I come home. I hope to return to blogging about that soon, but until then, I am going to post about things that make me happy. Cheese always makes me very, very happy. Would you like to join me in such happiness? Great! You too can eat the World's Best Mac & Cheese .

WBMnC
1lb dried elbow macaroni
4c whole milk
6 tbsp unsalted butter
6 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 lb swiss cheese, grated (approx 2c)
3/4 lb extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (approx 3c)

Preheat oven to 375F. Butter a 13x9-in baking dish.
Cook the macaroni in boiling water, about 7 min until al dente. Don't go too long as you'll be baking it.
As you cook the noodles, heat the milk in a small saucepan until almost boiling, then set aside. In a large pot, heat the butter until melted, then whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly, until it thickens. Immediately whisk in the hot milk and cook for 2-3 minutes, until mixture is thick and smooth.
Remove the sauce from heat and add salt, pepper, Tabasco, and mustard powder. Add the cheeses, reserving 1/2 cup of each for the topping. Whisk the cheese sauce well and adjust the seasonings to taste. Add the cooked macaroni and toss to combine. Transfer the cheesy macaroni to the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle evenly with the reserved cheeses. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly browned on top.

Since discovering this recipe a mere 2 weeks ago, Mr. Señor has made this 4 times.
Bon Appetite!

1 comment:

Mrs. T said...

Yum! I am definitely making this. Where was this recipe when I needed it during Lent? I guess it'll go on the docket for next year. Until then, I'll be trying it out in the next week or so. Nothing beats homemade mac and cheese.