The American baked mac and cheese.
Why you should cook this
The American baked mac and cheese. Three cheeses (sharp cheddar, gruyere, parmesan), bechamel base, breadcrumb top. Forty minutes work for a tray that feeds eight.
What to drink with it
A cold IPA, a New Orleans Hurricane, or a Boulevardier. Crisp green salad on the side.
Notes from the kitchen
Three cheeses is the rule. Sharp cheddar for tang, gruyere for stretch, parmesan for salt and depth. Make the bechamel thinner than you think. The pasta absorbs liquid as it bakes.
The recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C fan. Boil pasta 2 minutes less than packet directs. Drain.
- Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. Whisk in flour. Cook 90 seconds.
- Slowly whisk in milk. Bring to gentle simmer. Cook 5 minutes whisking until thickened.
- Off heat, stir in 200g cheddar, all the gruyere, 70g parmesan, mustard and nutmeg.
- Combine pasta and sauce. Pour into a deep baking dish. Top with remaining cheddar and parmesan.
- Combine panko, melted butter and paprika. Sprinkle over the top.
- Bake 30-35 minutes until deeply golden and bubbling at the edges. Rest 10 minutes before serving.
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Dry, set mac
Bechamel was too thick. Make it thinner than you think; the pasta absorbs liquid.
Greasy top
Too much butter in the breadcrumb topping. Two tablespoons is plenty.
Variations worth knowing
Bacon and breadcrumb
Add 200g of cooked bacon lardons to the cheese sauce. Top with extra breadcrumbs only, no extra cheese.
Truffle mac
Add a tablespoon of truffle oil at the end. Or grate fresh black truffle on each plate. Adult dinner-party version.
Three-cheese (no gruyere)
Replace gruyere with smoked cheddar. Smokier, slightly less stretchy.
Leftovers and make ahead
Mac and cheese cuts cleanly the next day. Reheat covered with a tablespoon of milk. Or fry the leftover squares in butter until crispy on both sides for breakfast.