Ingredients
Pasta and sauce
- 350 g elbow macaroni dry, about 12 oz
- 40 g unsalted butter about 3 tablespoons
- 35 g all-purpose flour about 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk 600 ml, warmed gently
- 225 g cheddar cheese 8 oz, freshly grated
- 115 g Gruyère cheese 4 oz, freshly grated
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder about 1 g
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt 3 g, plus more only if needed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper about 0.5 g
Topping
- 40 g plain dry breadcrumbs about 1/3 cup, not seasoned
- 10 g unsalted butter melted, about 2 teaspoons
Equipment
- 1 large pasta pot
- 1 Large saucepan
- 1 Whisk
- 1 2 1/2-quart baking dish
- 1 box grater
Instructions
Prepare and bake
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Set out a 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Grate both cheeses and combine them.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the elbows about 2 minutes less than the package's al dente time, until they bend but still have a firm center. Drain well. This recipe seasons the sauce rather than the pasta water.
- Meanwhile, melt 40 g butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes without browning. Gradually whisk in the warm milk, smoothing each addition before adding more. Add mustard powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 4–6 minutes, stirring, until the sauce lightly coats a spoon.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the cheeses in several handfuls until melted and smooth. If needed, return to very low heat briefly; do not boil the cheese sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Fold the drained elbows into the sauce. Transfer to the baking dish and spread evenly. Mix the breadcrumbs with 10 g melted butter and scatter over the pasta.
- Bake for about 20–25 minutes, until the edges bubble and the crumbs are golden. If the top colors too fast, loosely cover with foil. Rest for 5 minutes before serving. Cooking time assumes the pasta and sauce are prepared at the same time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 main-dish serving (1/6 batch)Calories: 618kcalCarbohydrates: 59.2gProtein: 26.8gFat: 30.2gSaturated Fat: 17.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.6gMonounsaturated Fat: 8.4gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 673mgPotassium: 334mgFiber: 2.4gSugar: 7.5gCalcium: 605mgIron: 2.7mg
Video
Notes
Video credit: Preppy Kitchen’s “AMAZING Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe” demonstrates a cheese-sauce pasta bake with breadcrumbs. The card here uses its own ingredient quantities and timing; follow these measurements rather than combining the two recipes.
For stovetop serving, cook the pasta fully, fold it into the finished sauce and omit the topping and baking. Nutrition below describes the baked recipe with its topping.
Nutrition is calculated per one-sixth of the batch from USDA SR Legacy entries for 350 g dry enriched pasta, 50 g total unsalted butter, 35 g flour, 618 g whole milk (600 ml), 225 g cheddar, 115 g Gruyère, 40 g plain dry breadcrumbs, 1 g ground mustard, 3 g salt and 0.5 g pepper. Brand composition and serving size vary; extra milk or salt is not included. Vitamins affected by cooking and unavailable trans-fat values are not estimated.
Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep at 40°F or below for 3–4 days. Reheat to 165°F with a splash of milk as needed.
