Baked Macaroni & Cheese (Stovetop Option)

Macaroni & Cheese

Originally published 1/11/2015. Reposted and updated 8/19/2017.

Hello, readers! I had a macaroni & cheese recipe on my old blog, and I’ve updated it since it was first posted in 2015. I’m reposting with a new video and the updated recipe, including how to temper an egg, which is a technique used in this recipe. I did eliminate the roux step, just because the pasta has starch, and the breadcrumbs have starch, and I didn’t think the cheese sauce needed to add more starch.

This recipe is for a baked mac & cheese. If you prefer stovetop, stop at step 5 and don’t bake it, but make sure to cook it an additional 5-10 minutes on the stovetop until the cheese sauce is thickened to the point you like. It’s not going to have a smooth Velveeta texture or anything (it’s cream and milk and cheese), but it’ll taste amazing.

Ingredients:

½ stick butter (1/4 c., 4 tbsp.)
1 ½ tsp. salt
Several grinds fresh black pepper
1 tsp. paprika (smoked if available)
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion flakes (or ¼ tsp. onion powder)
½ tsp. mustard powder
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
2 c. half & half
1 egg, beaten
½ block cream cheese
½ c. shredded mozzarella
¾ c. shredded cheddar
6 slices good American cheese (not singles)
1 16 oz. package gluten-free elbow macaroni

Bread crumb topping-
¼ c. shredded cheddar
3 slices gluten-free bread
2 tbsp. coconut flour
¼ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large pot, heat 6-8 qts. of water on high heat with a generous dash of salt.
In medium pot over low-medium heat (3.5/10), combine butter, seasonings, and half & half. Heat until butter melts and mixture is warmed to light steam.
Beat egg in medium bowl. In a process called “tempering,” slowly ladle hot dairy mixture over the egg, whisking constantly. When egg has incorporated, return dairy-egg mixture to the sauce pot.
Add cheeses to the sauce base, and stir occasionally to promote melting and prevent burning. As cheeses melt, boil pasta according to package instructions.
When pasta is done, turn off burner and strain thoroughly. Do not rinse. Return pasta to pot and cover in cheese sauce. Stir to fully coat pasta in cheese sauce.
Dump mac & cheese into large oiled casserole dish. Smooth top with a large spoon or rubber spatula and bake at 350° 15-20 minutes.
During first baking period, prepare the bread crumb topping. Blitz all dry ingredients together in food processor or blender until crumbly. Add melted butter and pulse until combined.
After first bake period, top mac & cheese with bread crumb topping and bake another 15-20 minutes until topping is crusty and golden brown.
Serve hot as the main dish, or pile a scoop onto a plate with chicken and collard greens.

In the video, I use Great Value’s 100% corn elbow macaroni. The only other elbow macaroni I’ve seen is Tinkyada’s brown rice variety, and I’ve found rice pasta often ends up mushy. I’ve also used Ronzoni’s gluten-free penne pasta to great success, but I wanted to use classic macaroni for the video.

Also, you may wonder why I’ve got half the spice rack in the cheese sauce. Each of the seasonings either adds its own flavor to the profile, or compliments and amplifies the richness of the cheese and dairy in the sauce. Mustard and nutmeg are both traditional seasonings for cheese, paprika adds color, and any good spice blend starts with salt, pepper, onion, and garlic. Besides, if your spice rack is missing any of these ingredients, then it’s incomplete. These are really basic flavors that every American spice cabinet should have stocked at all times.

I hope you guys enjoy my recipe for classic mac & cheese. Whether you prefer your macaroni prepared on the stovetop or baked in the oven, I’m sure you’ll enjoy my version. Please leave your thoughts in a comment below, or get in touch with me directly by filling out the form on the contact page.

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Baked Macaroni & Cheese (Stovetop Option)

Jamie

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