It’s entirely possible that I was unduly influenced by Ree (the Pioneer Woman) and her posting of mac and cheese this week. Last night about 8:30, while sitting on the sofa waiting for Bones to start, I suddenly developed an craving for mac and cheese. A really bad craving. The kind of craving that sneaks into the room and calls your name repeatedly, driving you slowly insane. The kind of craving that you HAVE to satisfy or else.
So I made mac and cheese. It wasn’t until after I’d made and photographed it that I realized my recipe – with the exception of the nutmeg – looks EXACTLY like Ree’s. Exactly.
I’m blogging it anyway because, damnit, I made it and photographed it and even ate it. And it was yummy.
The cast of characters includes: penne rigate, butter, flour, mustard powder, nutmeg, an egg, milk, and cheese (in this case, shredded sharp cheddar).
First, get your pasta going. I like the penne rigate which is a little firmer than regular macaroni. It also has a larger hole and the outside of the pasta is ridged – both of which allow the penne to hold on to more sauce than just plain macaroni. You want this slightly undercooked – more al dente than you’d normally be happy with – especially if you plan to bake the mac and cheese. I used a 1 lb box. Drain it and set it aside.
Then begin to make the yummy, cheesy sauce. Melt the stick of butter and add 1/4 cup of flour. Stir it around until it just barely begins to brown. You want to cook it enough that the floury taste is gone, but not enough to make the flour really dark.
Add your 3 cups of milk and bring to a simmer. Stir slowly until the mixture just begins to thicken. This is when I add the mustard …
… and a grating of fresh nutmeg.
Then take a spoonful of the hot milk mixture and pour it slowly into your beaten egg, mixing steadily. This is “tempering” the egg … it slowly warms the egg so it doesn’t curdle when you add it into the pot.
Once the egg is added to the pot and everything is beginning to thicken up nicely you add the cheese. This is 4-ish cups of shredded sharp cheddar. Hey, I never claimed this was a low fat recipe. I also switch from a spatula to a whisk here because I think it’s easier to incorporate the cheese and keep the sauce from being lumpy.
Add your cooked pasta to the sauce and mix it thoroughly (ditching the whisk for your spatula again will help). Add salt and pepper to taste.
You have really yummy mac and cheese at this point. But if you want, you can layer the top with some more (yes MORE) shredded cheese, some crumbled saltine crackers, and a few dots of butter and bake it, uncovered, in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes.
Sometimes when I’m feeling creative, I’ll saute some onion and garlic, or toss in some chopped ham or proscuitto, or some finely chopped sage and tarragon … or pretty much whatever I feel like … to the butter when I’m making the sauce. It adds a nice twist and you can put in almost anything.
Oh and one last note – I made the whole thing in my 3qt Dutch oven. You can make the sauce on the stovetop and then add the pasta and toppings and move the whole thing to the oven. Nice and easy, and fewer pots and pans to clean.
But tonight … it’s just the basic, perfect, cheesy Mac + cheese. Mmmmm.
Enjoy!
