MAC AND CHEESE

This week on Basics, I'm showing you a few different ways to make mac and cheese: the comfort food you just need sometimes.

Ingredients

Easiest Mac & Cheese Ingredients:

America’s Test Kitchen Method Ingredients:

J. Kenji López-Alt’s Method Ingredients:

Baked Mac & Cheese Ingredients:

Bechamel/Mornay Sauce Ingredients:

Southern Style Mac and Cheese:

Easiest Mac & Cheese Method:

Start by combining 1 ½ cups of whole milk with 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan.
Then add and cook the pasta directly in the milk & water mixture over medium heat while stirring and allowing the liquid to be absorbed by the pasta, about 1 minute before the pasta is done.
Before adding the cheese, kill the heat and add 8 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir it until it is just distributed amongst the pasta, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes.
After resting for 5 minutes, plate and enjoy.

America’s Test Kitchen Mac & Cheese Method:

Start by combining 1 ½ cups of whole milk with 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan.
Then add and cook the pasta directly in the milk & water mixture over medium heat while stirring and allowing the liquid to be absorbed by the pasta, about 1 minute before the pasta is done then reduce the heat.
Add 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper and 4 ounces of grated American cheese then mix together over low heat before seasoning with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
Once the American cheese has completely melted add 4 ounces of grated extra sharp cheddar, kill the heat entirely and mix it until it is dispersed amongst the pasta then cover and let it rest 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, give it a stir then serve and enjoy, or optionally toast up some bread crumbs in butter to top the mac and cheese with.

J. Kenji López-Alt’s Mac & Cheese Method:

In a medium saucepan, cover 6 ounces of pasta with just enough cold water to submerge and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer until most of the water is absorbed and the pasta is fully cooked.
Then pour 6 ounces of evaporated milk over top, bring that to a simmer, and once it’s at a bare simmer add 6 ounces of shredded cheese of choice (cheddar in this case).
Mix and cook that over low to no heat until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce has thickened. Add some optional Dijon mustard and cayenne pepper.
Once completely mixed together and creamy, plate and enjoy.

Baked Mac & Cheese Method:

On a stovetop, start by cooking your pasta of choice. While they’re cooking, make a pan of bechamel - method below.
Once the bechamel/mornay sauce is finished, place the cooked pasta into a casserole dish and pour the cheese sauce over top. Stir together inside the casserole dish.
After the cheese sauce has been evenly dispersed, add the cubed mozzarella and mix to make sure it’s evenly distributed.
Top the whole thing with another 2-3 ounces of grated cheddar and 1 ounce of grated parmesan.
Place into a 375°F oven for about 45 minutes (rotating once halfway through) and bake until a golden brown on top.
Let sit and rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Bechamel/Mornay Sauce Method:

Start by shredding the parmesan, gruyere, fontina, and sharp white cheddar on the large hole side of a box grater and cubing the mozzarella cheese. All together it should be 1 ½ lb.
In a large saucepan, melt ¼ cup of butter over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until it stops spattering, the stage right before browning. Make sure to swirl regularly so the butter doesn’t splatter.
At this point, add ¼ cup of flour and whisk into a thick paste and cook for 2-3 minutes until the raw flour smell dissipates.
At which point, slowly add the 4 cups of cold milk a little at a time. Slowly add ½ cup of milk while whisking together until it reaches a smooth paste then add another ½ cup whisk until smooth, and so on and so forth until all of the 4 cups of milk have been added.
Whisk that rigorously over medium-high heat until it comes to a bare simmer and reaches a consistency of just thicker than that of heavy cream.
Once the bechamel is finished, combine all the cheese (except mozzarella) into a heatproof bowl. Pour the bechamel over top through a fine-mesh strainer. Fold the cheese into the bechamel and whisk until it is fully melted and turned into a mornay sauce.
Season with a bunch of salt, freshly ground pepper, cayenne pepper (optional), and 2 tablespoons of whole grain mustard and whisk to combine.

Southern Style Mac and Cheese:

Start by cooking 1 lb of macaroni pasta in water.
Then shred 8 ounces of sharp cheddar, cube 8 ounces of mozzarella, and shred 4 ounces of smoked gouda.
Once the macaroni is cooked, drained, and returned to the warm pot. Add in the sharp cheddar, stirring into the past while adding 12 ounces of evaporated milk and mix together.
After the cheese has melted and the pasta is creamy and cheesy, add in the smoked gouda and mozzarella then mix together until evenly distributed.
Once the pasta has cooled enough to stick a finger without being burnt, put in 3 large eggs - whisking together vigorously until the eggs are nice and smooth.
Place into a casserole dish, smooth it all out then cover/sprinkle on top with 4 ounces of shredded yellow and white cheddar cheese along with the 2 oz of grated parmesan.
After the cheese is evenly coated on top, place the casserole dish into a 375°F oven for about 45 minutes until golden brown.
Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.