Mac & Cheese

Mac & Cheese is typically a very American dish and I must admit I had never really tried it until recently as I was really focused on Italian recipes. After trying Mac & Cheese I realized what I had been missing out on - a fantastic, cheesy dish that really warmed you up from the inside (mind you, you really must love cheese or this recipe is nothing for you).

After making Mac & Cheese the same way a couple of times (only using Cheddar) I decided to go crazy and try it out with a mixture of Cheddar and Gruyer and I must say it was even better than before! There is really no one recipe for Mac & Cheese and for what cheese you prefer to add (some people even put cream cheese which I don’t love) and I suggest that if it’s your first time making it you use either both Cheddar and Gruyer or just Cheddar (if you use just one of the two cheeses please make sure you adjust the recipe accordingly).

Mac & Cheese is also a Thanksgiving tradition and makes for a great side dish for your feast with loved ones and friends.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 40 Minutes

Ingredients for 6 portions:

• Macaroni - 600 g (we use these ones)

• Egg - 1

• All-purpose flour - 35 g

• Whole Milk - 590 mL

• Butter - 60 g

• Cheddar - 250 g (no pre-grated cheese)

• Gruyere - 200 g

• Mustard - 1 Tbs

• Black Pepper - half a teaspoon

• Paprika - a drizzle

• Salt

Preparation:

1. Start the preparation by preheating the oven to 180°C.

2. Second bring some water to boil and cook the macaroni for 2 minutes less than it says on the instructions. Once cooked drain them.

3. In a pot, melt the butter and add the flour and mix together over low heat. Make sure you keep mixing and that the butter doesn’t burn. Add the milk, the mustard and mix together until it’s all uniform. Keep cooking until the paste is very thick (5-7 min). Reduce the heat.

4. In a bowl beat the egg.

5. Take the sauce we mixed together and mix it with the egg little at a time, mixing vigorously (the egg doesn’t need to cook). Mix until smooth then add the grated cheese and keep mixing until it’s melted. Add salt and pepper to taste as well as paprika. It’s best if you add a little more salt then you think.

6. Put the maccaroni’s in the mixture and cook a little over low-medium heat. Keep stirring until the pasta is creamy and ready to be served.

7. You can either serve the mac & cheese like this or you can cover it with grated cheese and bake for 20 minutes (to make it crunchier).