ReeRee’s Mac N Cheese
Decadent and creamy, ReeRee’s Mac N Cheese is the best! Perfected over many years, this one is served for special occasions and holidays, at summer barbecues, and an occasional Sunday lunch. Not necessarily figure friendly, but then again, when is any mac n cheese that is made right figure friendly? Each bite is worth the calories!
There are lots and lots of macaroni and cheese recipes out there. Most are delicious, because…noodles and cheese? Yes please! And I would argue that even for a foodie like me, there is also a time and place for the cheap boxed Kraft Macaroni and Cheese! Like with chili dogs and chips! However this recipe is when you have a bit more time and want more of a special creamy, cheesy macaroni dish.
A few tips here. Always grate your own cheese at home. None of this preshredded stuff, which is coated in who knows what. It never melts right and has a weird taste to it! Also, I always add a handful of another type of cheese other than the traditional sharp cheddar! This adds a little extra something. You can tweak it however you like to make it your own. I usually throw in a parmesan, asiago or Romano cheese but occasionally will do a pepper jack or whatever is on hand. Another idea is to use a bit of leftover cheese from a charcuterie board; a smoked or aged Gouda is nice. Any type of spicy pepper cheese or the Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar is also yummy. Just a handful – half a cup or so – gives the Mac N Cheese a unique flavor.
I usually plan to cook the pasta beforehand, sometimes the night before I am going to serve it. Parboil it until just underdone as it will continue cooking when you bake it and no one likes mushy noodles! Drain in a colander, running cold water over it as it cools. Then place in a ziploc bag (it’s ok if it is still a bit wet). Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Put in the fridge until you are ready to make your cheese sauce.
ReeRee’s Mac N Cheese is good for entertaining, for the holidays, and whenever you want a decadent, creamy, cheesy macaroni dish! This is a crowd favorite – kids and adults alike! Enjoy!
ReeRee’s Mac N Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta macaroni, penne, rotini, elbows, shells – I like them all!
- 4 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- ⅓ to ½ cup freshly grated cheese of choice a handful of parmesan, asiago, pepper jack, gouda, whatever you like or have on hand
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2½ teaspoons kosher salt if using regular salt, reduce to 2 teaspoons
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper you can sub black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon chicken base I use Better than Buillion brand
- 5 cups whole milk Be flexible and have a little more on hand in case you need to thin sauce out a bit. You want all the noodles to be fully coated with sauce.
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, well salted water just shy of al dente. Depending on the type of pasta, this will be anywhere from 5-8 minutes. Then, place cooked pasta in a large colander- run cold water over the pasta and stir it to cool down. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and set aside. OR if you want to make the pasta a day ahead of serving (which I usually do), cool the pasta down in the colander as described above. Then place pasta in a zip top bag and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. It is fine if the pasta is still a bit wet. Place in refrigerator until you are ready to make the cheese sauce.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray.
- To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, salt, pepper, and dry mustard. Whisk and cook until lightly golden, a couple of minutes or so. Turn heat off and whisk in chicken base. Now gradually add the milk in, mixing until smooth. Turn the heat back on to medium and bring to a slight boil. Boil for a minute and, whisking consistently, cook until the mixture thickens a bit.Add the cheddar cheese in, reserving about a half cup of cheese for the topping the casserole later. After the cheddar cheese melts somewhat, add in a handful of your cheese of choice. Whisk constantly until all the cheese is melted into the sauce. Watch the heat and turn down if necessary as you don't want the sauce to stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
- Now add the pasta into the stockpot with the cheese sauce and stir to coat all the noodles evenly. If the sauce seems too thick you can add a small amount of milk to thin out.
- Pour the cheese covered pasta into the prepared casserole dish and bake for about 20 minutes, until bubbly. Add reserved cheese on top and bake until it is all melted in; about 5 minutes or so. Serve it up and enjoy!