Thomas Jefferson, purportedly a great lover of both cheese and Italian food, brought a macaroni maker back from Italy and served his baked macaroni and cheese at dinner parties.
If you have ever managed to have a lucid thought while eating this gooey, delicious dish, it may have been to wonder how macaroni and cheese -- American cheese melted into a traditional British white sauce served over Italian pasta -- came about. It all started during the age of European colonization, when seafaring men transported dried macarone -- one of the few staples that could survive a year aboard ship -- from Italy to Britain and to the American colonies.
American colonists did not have the selection of fresh produce and other ingredients that the Italians had; their meals were improvised from a larder of fresh or sour milk, stale bread, and pork drippings. So the imported pasta would often be served with a simple white sauce -- milk thickened with flour and butter. Sometimes it was baked in a casserole with buttered breadcrumbs on top. A recipe for a casserole of macaroni, white sauce, and grated yellow cheese was first recorded in the "Boston Cooking School Cookbook" in 1896.
Kraft introduced its macaroni-and-cheese dinner in 1937 as a way to market processed American cheese and Tenderoni macaroni. It swept the nation. Recipes for homemade macaroni and cheese began to appear frequently in cookbooks.
Nowadays, making delicious homemade macaroni and cheese has become a mission for some people: They are always trying to make it more comforting, cheesier. It's a completely worthwhile way to spend your time.
To begin, you still need to make a white sauce. A generous amount of butter is melted in a large saucepan, and then flour is stirred into it to make a loose paste. After the flour has cooked in the hot butter, hot milk is whisked in. The starch from the cooked flour expands in the milk, creating a thick, creamy sauce. The starch binds the sauce, so that when the cheese is stirred in, the result is creamy and smooth, not stringy and curdled.
It is important to use pungent cheeses, such as sharp cheddar, mixed with a little Gruyere or pecorino Romano for extra bite, since the white sauce and pasta will absorb a lot of flavor. The type of cheese used will also affect the sauce's texture: Sharp white cheddar produces the smoothest result; yellow and extra sharp cheddars can become grainy.
A good Italian brand of dried elbow macaroni will have the best consistency. Undercook your pasta so that it is the slightest bit crunchy (very al dente) in the center, then rinse it under cold water. This stops the cooking and washes off the excess starch. You might think that starch would be useful in further thickening the casserole, but it isn't; as it bakes, that extra starch merely expands and lends a mealy texture to your sauce.
The pasta will finish cooking as it bakes. The sauce will bubble, seeping into the hollows of your macaroni. When the smell of butter and browning cheese makes your stomach growl, you'll know the dish is ready to eat.
You can easily divide this recipe in half; use a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish if you do.
Serves 12
6 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated pecorino Romano
1 pound elbow macaroni
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
2. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup pecorino Romano. Set cheese sauce aside.
4. Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer's directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup pecorino Romano; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.
Fantastic recipe. I omitted 1 cup gruyere and replaced it with 3/4 cup emmentaler, 1/4 cup romano and just a touch of Roquefort to give it a little more tang. For the cheddar, Tillamook vintage white extra sharp cheddar (aged 2 years) worked great. All these cheeses are white which I think makes a nice looking dish. For the bread crumbs, I followed the recipe exactly and it worked perfectly- a nice golden brown slightly crunchy texture. I'm a fan of panko crumbs but this is even better.
Crazy Rave Reviews from Thanksgiving Pot Luck in London Uk. Making it for the first time as well, recipe was easy to follow and magical flavours. Ulitimate Mac and Cheese. I added some white Truffle oil as well to the bread crumbs. Next time going over the top some more and adding Lobster! Thanks Martha!
WOW. I subbed 1.5 cups of smoked sharp cream cheddar for the Vermont. I didn't have bread to make my own crumbs, but I melted butter and poured over Panko crumbs instead. Also added a couple of eggs and a couple of teaspoons of white truffle oil. This dish is DECADENT!!!
This is my 'go to' macaroni and cheese. I use store bought bread crumbs and it turns out great. It tastes even better reheated the next day.
Changes I made (all just for personal taste):
Omit nutmeg
Cut the salt by 1/2
Doubled the black pepper
Omit Cayenne
Substituted a little bit of cream I had left over, but mostly used milk
It was a great recipe--made a ton, tasted wonderful and was a total hit. Next time I think I won't use as much cheese on the top--it's rich enough without it. Also, served with peas--the sweetness was a nice balance to the salty mac.
Will make again and again=)
OK, for some reason this is only showing the 1st few words of my comment...but the crux of it was, when I left off the breadcrumbs the 2nd time I made it the top was very oily. Going to try it again with regular store breadcrumbs (wasn't crazy about the recipe breadcrumbs, but the rest of the recipe was fabulous - used extra sharp cheddar and Gruy?ɬ
I just made this for Thanksgiving
I just made this for Thanksgiving
I agree with foodwhore. Adding the white truffle oil to the mix really makes this a special dish. I hadn't thought about adding the oil to the bread pieces--that's a brilliant idea. Keep in mind the cost of truffle oil is a little pricey but well worth that added touch. I don't make a mac n cheese without it.
Hi Suzzannetubbs....you can put the whole thing together the night before and bake it the next day. I thought the breadcrumbs actually came out better.
FAST and BASIC The most EXCELLENT Mac N Cheese!
American Deli sliced white or yellow!!!
Constitute with about 1/4 to 1/2 cup WATER with the cheese in pot.
If it's too watery - just keep heating it till it thickens.
If it's too thick - just add a touch more till you get the thickness you like.
DO NOT USE MILK.
The creaminess is in the cheese. To reheat ADDING MILK will dry it out and will not reconstitute as well. The creaminess is NOT from MILK it's in the cheese. It's a MYTH to add milk!
We made a double batch and cooked both. We didn't need the second one. Can it be frozen and reheated 2 weeks later without drying out? I'd love to use it at an upcoming party if it will be just as good.
Do you think I could make this dish the night before and them warm it up?
this is one of my favorite mac and cheese dishes ever! i like the combination of the cheddar and pecorino romano for a tangy kick.
While I've already reviewed this recipe, I made it again last night and wanted to add that the quality of cheese really makes a huge difference (more than I thought was possible). The first time I bought high-quality imported cheese, and it was excellent. Last night I used yellow sharp cheddar and store-brand gruyere (what I had on hand), and it was not nearly as good. Maybe this is obvious to everyone else, but if you are making this for company I would really recommend good cheese.
This is a really good mac and cheese, I used Romano. I beg of you to skip the salt because the butter and cheeses are enough, I added salt and it was too salty.
This was awesome! I used extra sharp cheddar (I missed the note about it making the dish grainy until too late) and gruyere. It was slightly grainy, but hardly noticeable. Also, I did not heat the milk ahead of time for the white sauce. It takes longer to thicken, but saves a pot to wash. In the end it doesn't seem to make any difference.
This was the absolute BEST recipe. I tried it and it turned out flawless. The only complaints came from those who expected "blue box." Sad. Everyone else loved it.
This is by far one of my fav recipes - although I do add a twist. I think it is best to cook the whole dish the day before and then just reheat the next day before your guests arrive. Try to pull out and bring to room temp before reheating....it will go a lot faster.
Do you think you can prepare it the day prior to a dinner party? Leaving it in the fridge until you are ready to bake and serve? Or would that change the texture and creamy nature of the dish? I love, love, love this recipe, but find the prep time leaves me wanting to have it ready to go with the dishes done before my guests arrive.
This is amazing. Just a warning, I know I am not the fastest cook but I think the prep time is on the speedy side. If you aren't the speediest allow some extra time!
I have made this recipe as written, with excellent results. I have also substituted different varieties of cheese depending on what I had on hand. This recipe turned out well either way. I also love the buttered bread crumbs on top.
I made this recipe exactly as written and it was wonderful. Today I decided to kick it up a notch. I used applewood smoked gruyere cheese, Panko bread crumbs and added chunks of bacon. It's the best I have ever made. Thanks Martha.
This was easy to make, and a huge success! I made it with the Martha Stewart "All American Meatloaf"... Got everything ready in the morning, and just popped it in the oven an hour before the dinner party. The only thing I did differently was in Step #5, I scattered half the breadcrumbs, then half the cheeses, then the second half the breadcrumbs and the remaining cheese.
I'm with you photo-doc. Make a recipe as written the first time, then tweak it to my taste. BTW Jen, I should have added I don't find Gruyere cheese too salty, but probably a good idea to check out the other posts. As we all know, you can always add salt to the dish as you go along, but you can't take it out. ;)
Gruyere is a variety of Swiss cheese. Excellent melting properties; had kind of a nutty flavor to it. I use it when I make Scalloped potatoes from scratch.
Oh I have another comment, I used shredded sharp chedder and grated romano and parm cheeses. My local store didn't have that Gruyere cheese. Is that type of cheese salty?
I just made this tonight and it was great. Not sure what happened with the ladies who thought it was too salty. Did you use table salt instead of kosher salt? The only change I would make is that I used potato chips instead of the butter bread cubes. I let it sit for more than 5 min so it wouldn't be soupy. I would make again.!!
I just made it too cheesy an salty.Other than that it's good.Just cut n the salt.
I can't wait to try this recipe. I have been playing around with my own concoctions. I am a novice to the mac n cheese.
Whoa, waaaaaaay too much salt! I've made this twice and I totally agree with comments #9 and #15. It was fantastic the first time, but then got a bad batch due to inferior Gruyere from Giant.
This was soooooo cheesy! The breadcrumbs on the top are not needed. I used yellow cheddar, gruyere, parm, and munster. I also used whole wheat rigatoni. This makes enough for an army.
Can this be made and placed in refrigerator for a day before baking?
comfort food nirvana! this is hands down THE BEST mac and cheese recipe. insanely delicious! i used less butter too. it is rich enough! it's amazing with some fresh stewed tomatoes.
I love the creamy cheese you make with this recipe! 'Also, I must note that you should really try the nutmeg in this recipe. I have learned that adding a few shakes or more of nutmeg to many dishes (not just baked goods) really give the dish that- "what did they add to this..its so good!!" Its the secret ingredient worth trying in anything!!!!!!
The best recipe I've ever tried for Mac N Cheese. I omitted the nutmeg and cayenne. Also didn't care for the buttered bread crumbs. They made it too rich and greasy. I made mine with Gruyere and Sharp White Cheddar cheeses only. I halved it, and it still made enough for an army. You will not be dissapointed if you love rich pasta and cheese dishes. Definitely a five star dish!
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I like to follow recipe directions exactly for the first try, but would probably add bacon or ham the next time! Everything is better with bacon! I invited 2 other couples over to help us eat the 12 servings and everyone loved it. We decided to have good 'ol fish sticks with it. No one declined take-home servings either!
One of the best mac and cheese recipes out there. Reduce the final amounts of cheese in Step 5 by at least half or omit completely-- the cheese sauce is plenty cheesey enough -- no one will notice, and your arteries will thank you!
Used Fontina instead of Gruyere. Also used chipotle instead of cayene and 2 tsp lemon juice to punch it up. Now a family favorite. Great to split
This is the best mac and cheese I've made yet. To push it over the top, use Gruyere (not Pecorino Romano), cut the amount of butter in the cheese sauce to 4 tbs, then add 2 tbs white truffle oil to the sauce upon removing from heat. Also, toss the bread pieces in half butter, half white truffle oil. My guests loved it.
I have made this many times for family gatherings
I have made this many times for family gatherings
This is the only way to make Mac and Cheese, in my opinion. I make enough (half or a third) to feed the family for dinner and a bit for leftovers the next day. This is a once a month treat/comfort food for us and we all love it because ,of course, by changing the cheeses you will never get bored!
Personally, this is my go-to mac and cheese recipe. It's success hinges on the quality of the ingredients as it is a basic recipe that lets the flavor of the cheese come through.
I agree with Norm though--it is expensive. However, it's a recipe for 12. Halve it!
Many people love this recipe. i found it to be expensive, making great mess in the kitchen and not all that good. it made more than we could eat in a month and we ended up throwing almost all of it out.