Basic Macaroni and Cheese
Basic Macaroni and Cheese
Author: The Blue Jean Chef, Meredith Laurence
Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pasta
- Cheese Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons dried mustard powder
- 4 cups milk, room temperature
- 3 cups grated Swiss cheese (preferably Gruyère)
- 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- Topping:
- 2 cups breadcrumbs (preferably coarse homemade crumbs)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, rough chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350˚ F.
- Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- In the meantime, heat a 2- to 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Melt the butter and add the flour and mustard powder. Stir, cooking for 2 minutes. Whisk in the room temperature (or warmed) milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Stirring regularly, bring the sauce to a boil. Once it has boiled and thickened, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the grated cheeses, salt and pepper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta and cheese sauce. Transfer to a casserole or baking dish. Combine the topping ingredients and spread the mixture on top of the pasta. Cook in a 350˚ F oven for 30 minutes.
