Classic Macaroni & Cheese is comforting food at it’s finest. For the cook it is the “chicken soup” of casseroles offering a easy way to use scraps of cheese or by adding other proteins and produce. You can also change it up by using other shapes of pasta and by adding unique cheese varieties. For the diner it is love in a bowl, a one dish wonder! Below is my “go to” recipe from my book Cook like a Caterer.
Macaroni & Cheese Bake
Creamy and cheesy comfort food. I use mini shell pasta instead of the classic elbow macaroni pasta but you may use either.
Serves 15
1½ pounds mini shell pasta
¼ cup margarine
¼ cup flour
5 cups whole milk
3 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons white pepper
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
4 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
TOPPING
¼ cup parmesan cheese grated ½ cup panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoon butter melted 1 teaspoon parsley flaked
Cook pasta until al dente, drain, rinse and set aside.
Melt margarine in a heavy bottom sauce pan. Whisk in flour and cook at least two minutes, stirring constantly.
Slowly add milk, whisking into flour and margarine mixture.
Whisk in salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce, dry mustard, garlic and onion powder. Bring to a simmer but do not boil.
Add 3 cups grated cheese (a cup at a time, stirring until incorporated). Sprinkle in parmesan cheese and fold in cooked shell pasta.
Stir topping ingredients together in a small bowl.
Spray casserole dish with pan spray and spread macaroni and cheese into dish. Top with additional cup of shredded cheese, pour cup of cream over top and sprinkle topping over dish.
Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes.
Helpful hints for great Mac & Cheese…Start with a pot roomy enough to cook the pasta of your choice. Shorter length tube pastas are traditional like elbow, mini shell, rigitoni or penne. Farfalle, orecchiette, fusilli and cavatappi are fun shapes that hold sauce as well. Bring water to boil and salt water with a generous amount of salt, I didn’t note that in the recipe, but it makes all the difference! Cooking pasta until just tender is important or it will overcook and be mushy in the final dish. Bring milk to room temperature and add it slowly to the flour/butter, whisking makes for a smooth sauce.
Catering Note…To adapt this recipe for larger groups you will need to “bump up” the sauce to account for more surface area. A 200 hotel pan will hold 3 recipes of the pasta but make 4 times the sauce and heavy cream for top. If making ahead, keep sauce separate from pasta until ready to bake as it will dry out. Larger pans should be baked covered for 30-40 minutes then uncovered another 10-15 to crisp and color top.
