A cheesy post

An old friend of mine and regular blog-stalker (*waves at Kim*) and I were recently discussing the picky eating habits of certain children in our lives (in particular, her daughter and one of my nieces). Macaroni and cheese was, of course, on the short list. My complaint: my niece prefers the blue-and-yellow box over Auntie's homemade mac and cheese. (Confession: Auntie also likes the boxed stuff, when she's in the right mood for it, but would generally choose homemade if given a choice.) Kim thought that her little one would probably be open to trying homemade, so I am hereby posting my recipe, which is, of course, the America's Test Kitchen recipe.

If you're happy with no toasty breadcrumbs on the top of it, it is perfect straight from the stovetop, and saves a couple of steps and a bunch of dishes! It's crucial to cook the pasta until tender – just past the "al dente" stage. In fact, overcooking is better than undercooking the pasta. Whole, low-fat, and skim milk all work well in this recipe. This makes enough for an army, but the recipe can easily be halved and baked in an 8-inch-square, broilersafe baking dish.

Classic Macaroni and Cheese
From America’s Test Kitchen

Serves 6 to 8, or 10 to 12 as a side

Bread Crumb Topping
6 slices white sandwich bread (good-quality, about 6 ounces), torn into rough pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 6 pieces

Pasta and Cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 Tablespoon salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional - I generally omit this)
5 cups milk
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon salt


For the bread crumbs:
Pulse bread and butter in food processor until crumbs are no larger than 1/8 inch, ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. Set aside.

For the pasta and cheese:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt; cook until pasta is tender. Drain pasta and set aside in colander.

In now-empty Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add flour, mustard, and cayenne (if using) and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; bring mixture to boil, whisking constantly (mixture must reach full boil to fully thicken). Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheeses and 1 teaspoon salt until cheeses are fully melted. Add pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes.

Transfer mixture to broiler-safe 9x13 inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs. Broil until crumbs are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, rotating pan if necessary for even browning. Cool about 5 minutes, then serve.