American
Stovetop Mac n' Cheese
A velvety cheddar béchamel over al dente elbows — the ultimate American comfort dish.
Recipe by Cyman Huang
Cooked, styled and photographed in his kitchen.
Thomas Jefferson is often credited with popularizing macaroni and cheese in America after encountering pasta in France. By the mid-19th century, mac and cheese recipes appeared regularly in American cookbooks; by the mid-20th century Kraft put it in a blue box and made it a national institution.
Homemade mac and cheese — made with a proper béchamel and good aged cheddar — is in an entirely different category. The key to a lump-free, silky sauce is adding the cheese off the heat.
Watch it come together
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni or cavatappi
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2½ cups whole milk, warmed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups (8 oz) sharp cheddar, freshly grated
- 1 cup (4 oz) Gruyère or fontina, freshly grated
- 1 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp hot sauce (optional, highly recommended)
Method
- 1
Cook pasta in well-salted boiling water to just under al dente — it will keep cooking in the sauce. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
- 2
In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk constantly 1–2 minutes until the roux turns pale golden and smells nutty.
- 3
Gradually whisk in the warm milk, then the cream, about ¼ cup at a time, whisking smooth before each addition. Cook, stirring constantly, 5–7 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- 4
REMOVE FROM HEAT. Add mustard powder, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne and hot sauce. Add the cheeses in three additions, stirring until melted and smooth before each next addition. Do not return to high heat.
- 5
Add the drained pasta and fold to coat. If the sauce seems thick, loosen with reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time.
- 6
Taste and adjust salt. Serve immediately in warm bowls.
Substitutions
- Chef's Tip: Always grate your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking cellulose that prevents smooth melting and produces a grainy sauce. A box grater and three minutes of effort makes an enormous difference.
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