Description
Mac and Cheese becomes a creamy comfort classic right in your kitchen, with melted cheese coating tender pasta in pure deliciousness. Quick ingredients and simple techniques make this stovetop version your new favorite weeknight dinner solution.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta:
- 1 lb large shells
Cheese and Dairy:
- 4 cups shredded cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Seasonings and Extras:
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- Optional: 1 pinch nutmeg
- Optional: 1 pinch mustard powder
Instructions
- Boil 1 lb large shells in salted water for 8-9 minutes until perfectly al dente. Drain pasta thoroughly in a colander and set aside.
- Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large pot over medium heat until completely liquefied and slightly foaming.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup all-purpose flour into melted butter, whisking constantly for 1-2 minutes until the mixture turns a light golden color and smells nutty.
- Pour 2 cups warm whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream into the roux gradually, whisking continuously to prevent lumps from forming.
- Simmer the liquid mixture for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until the sauce thickens and small bubbles appear around the edges of the pot.
- Reduce heat to low and add 4 cups shredded cheese in small handfuls, stirring after each addition until the cheese completely melts and creates a smooth sauce.
- Season the cheese sauce with ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and an optional pinch of nutmeg or mustard powder.
- Fold cooked shells into the cheese sauce, ensuring each pasta piece gets thoroughly coated with the creamy mixture.
- Serve immediately to enjoy the most luxurious, velvety mac and cheese texture.
Notes
- Use block cheese and grate it yourself for the smoothest, most even melting and best flavor texture.
- Select a combination of cheeses like sharp cheddar and gruyere to create deeper, more complex cheese flavor.
- Warm your milk and cream before adding to the roux to prevent lumps and help sauce combine more seamlessly.
- For a gluten-free version, replace wheat flour with cornstarch or a gluten-free flour blend, and use gluten-free pasta shells.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Boiled
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 627 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 390 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 24 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg