I was just dying to make macaroni and cheese last week. There is something about cold weather and having to retire my flip flops and gauzy tops (ok, they should have been retired long ago) in favor of fleece hoodies and drawstring sweats that makes me crave pasta, butter, and cheese. Unfortunately for me, I had some deliciously tempting but not-as-much-craved-for shrimp and beef in the fridge. Well, I did have two delicious meals, but really, I just couldn’t plow through those perishables quick enough to get to mac and cheese.
I dug my nose into Foodgawker, Tastespotting, and some of my favorite food blogs in search of a fail-proof recipe. Well, I was a little overwhelmed and confused. Everyone seems to have their own protocol. Cold roux with warm milk; warm milk with cold roux; warm roux with warm milk; to preboil or not preboil; Velveeta as a stabilizer; American as a stabilizer; the decisions were endless. I threw up my hands in disgust and did what I always do when I am overwhelmed – turn to Ina.
I could just sing Ina’s praises all day long. Her recipes are always simple, easy to follow, and delicious. This recipe was no different.
- Kosher salt
- Olive Oil
- 1 lb. whole-wheat elbow pasta
- 2 c. low-fat milk
- 1 c. cream
- 4 Tb. butter
- ½ c. all-purpose flour
- 2 c. grated Swiss cheese
- 2 c. grated cheddar
- ½ tsp. pepper
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- ½ c. Italian breadcrumbs
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, heat the milk and cream in a small saucepan, but don’t boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cream and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Swiss, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.
- Top with breadcrumbs bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.
This looks so good! We’re having a comfort food recipe contest and would love to have you enter one of your best recipes (your shrimp scampi looks delicious too!). Check out the contest at http://marxfood.com – the prize is a $250 GC
Emily – Will do, thank you.
Oh you really have me wanting to make mac & cheese. This looks so delicious. I normally follow my own recipe but I think I will follow this one next!
I made this last night and I thought it was excellent… now I have a question. Any possible advice for how to mix this up a bit? I thought adding pieces of chicken might really make for an even more satisfying meal, but was worried that adding cooked chicken might result in becoming too dry, and wasn’t sure how adding the chicken raw would work out.