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Killer Mac and Cheese

Source of Recipe

From "Castle Rock Kitchen" by Theresa Carle-Sanders


Recipe Introduction

"Uncooked pasta is stirred into a cheesy cream sauce enriched with chicken stock, resulting in a one-pot, flavor-filled comfort meal that will drive away even the most frightening night—or day—mares about the scariest of grammas. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. To incorporate more vegetables, add 2 medium stalks of minced celery and 1 cup of tiny cauliflower florets to the pan with the onion."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ ¾ cup panko-style bread crumbs
â—¦ ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
â—¦ 1 tablespoon olive oil
â—¦ ¼ cup butter
â—¦ 1 medium yellow onion, julienned
â—¦ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ 2 cups chicken stock
â—¦ 2 cups milk
â—¦ 3 cups shredded aged Cheddar cheese
â—¦ 1 cup whipping cream
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
â—¦ 1 teaspoon mustard powder
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
â—¦ 1 pinch cayenne pepper
â—¦ 3 cups dried macaroni


Recipe

Position an oven rack on the middle rung and heat the oven to 350° F. In a small bowl, toss together the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and olive oil; set aside.

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Whisk the chicken stock and milk into the flour, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 7 to 10 minutes.

Add the Cheddar, a couple handfuls at a time, to the pot and stir until it has all been incorporated and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the cream, salt, mustard powder, white pepper, and cayenne. Add the macaroni and cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta begins to swell and no longer sticks to the bottom of the pot, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the uncovered Dutch oven to the oven and bake the macaroni for 30 minutes, then top with the Parmesan bread crumbs and return to the oven until golden and bubbling, about 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Spoon the macaroni and cheese onto plates and serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings