Creamy Mac & Cheese
We prefer creamy macaroni and cheese made on the stove top as opposed to baked macaroni and cheese where the noodles soak up much of the moisture in the sauce while in the oven. With this version, you give up the crunchy topping, but you gain a creamier, saucier consistency and it can be quickly prepared for a nourishing weeknight meal. This is a “back pocket” recipe for when extra kids stay for dinner.
Ingredients
Cook the macaroni al dente in salted water:
Instructions
Fill a 3 to 4 quart pot 3/4 full and bring to a boil. Add the salt and the macaroni noodles. Set the timer to test for doneness at 4 to 6 minutes. Cook the noodles until they are still firm to the bite. Drain and place into a large serving bowl.
While the pasta is cooking, measure the milk in a large measuring glass and microwave until warm. Grate the cheeses and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir with a whisk to make a roux. Add the warm milk and stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture starts to thicken. Reduce the heat and add the salt, nutmeg, pepper and cayenne. Remove from heat, add the cheeses and stir until melted. Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked macaroni, stirring it into the noodles until they are fully coated. It will be very creamy and cheesy! Serve immediately.
You’ll get the best results by hand grating the cheese for this recipe. Because commercially grated cheeses are coated with anti-caking agents to keep the strands from clumping together, those very additives prevent the cheese from smoothly melting into a sauce.
