Really Easy, Really Delicious Mac + Cheese
I made this for my family tonight, and amazingly, there were leftovers. It’s 8:58 PM, and if you know me personally, you know that this is a good half hour past my bedtime. But I just haaaaad to sneak out of my bed to go scoop out a little bowl and warm it up. It’s just so good. I couldn’t handle waiting until lunchtime tomorrow to eat it! I made this partially in my Instant Pot, and partially on the stove (I cooked my pasta here), but you can make your roux and cheese sauce in another stovetop pan if you like. This meal comes together in the time it takes to boil the pasta, plus a minute or two of broiling at the end. Simple and satisfying!
REALLY EASY, REALLY DELICIOUS, MAC + CHEESE
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 T butter
- 3 T flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1/2 t salt + 1/4 t pepper
- 1/4 t paprika or cayenne, if you want more heat
- 2 cups shredded mild cheddar
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar I used a coastal English cheddar tonight. Very sharp, and a bit nutty, like a parmesan blend.
- 12 to 16-oz short pasta elbows are traditional, but tonight I used short rigatoni and they were perfect!
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- olive oil spray (or similar), or olive oil to drizzle
- additional salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
1.) On the stove, boil water in a pot, and heavily salt it. When it comes to a boil, drop in your pasta and give it a stir. Subtract one minute from the cook time on the box.
2.) Make the roux: On your stovetop over medium heat (or in Instant Pot on sauté mode), heat 3 T of butter. Once melted, drop in 3 tablespoons of flour, and mix to combine. Stir until there are no clumps and the mixture is bubbly, about a minute or so. It should look like a very thick paste. We also want to cook out any of the raw flour taste in this step.
3.) Slowly pour in 1/4 cup of milk, and mix vigorously. I find that a flat whisk works well here. Once you have a smooth, congruent mixture, slowly add in the remaining milk (3 cups total), and mix the entire time, ensuring there are no clumps.
4.) Season your liquid with 1/2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper, and paprika or cayenne.
5.) Once your milk is warm, pour in your shredded cheeses and mix until combined. Continue to mix over low heat until it is thick.
6.) Once your pasta is finished, drain and pour it into the cheese sauce. Mix until combined, and then pour into a medium-sized (1 quart) casserole dish. An 8x8-inch pan would work fine as well.
7.) Top your pasta with panko bread crumbs, and lightly spray with an olive oil spray. Sprinkle with pepper if desired.
8.) Slide your dish into the oven under the broiler for about 1 minute, until it’s dark brown and bubbly.
Your pasta and cheese sauce should still be hot from the pot, so no need to bake this. This makes it a speedy, easy weeknight dinner! No time to waste, it’s dinner time.
