World’s Best Macaroni and Cheese?
To justify my addiction to Pinterest I have made it a goal to make baking/cooking/crafting things I spend hours pinning on there a regular around my apartment. One of my firsts was this baked pasta dish … we liked it so much we made it twice in two weeks! It was great because not only did I get to use my new Martha Stewart baking dish, but it stores so well in the fridge so I made it on a Monday of a very busy week and we had dinner for the next two nights 🙂
Martha Stewart Claims this is the “World’s Best Macaroni and Cheese”
Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious – and we loved the added spice – but we’re not sold that the world can’t do better 🙂
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First You have to make the Cheese Sauce:
Yield: Makes about 4 cups
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 14 ounces cheddar cheese, preferably Flagship, grated (about 3 1/2 cups)
- 2 ounces Jack cheese, preferably Just Jack, grated (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions
- Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour. Continue whisking and cooking for 2 minutes.
- Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, salt, chile powder, and garlic powder. Stir until cheese has melted and all ingredients are well incorporated, about 3 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days.
- To reheat sauce, place in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through.
And then you make the actual dish…
Ingredients
- Butter or vegetable oil, for baking dish
- 6 ounces penne
- 2 cups Cheese Sauce
- 1 ounce cheddar cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
- 1 ounce Gruyere cheese, grated (1/4 cup) – if you can’t find this, we used a spicy pepperjack and it was great!
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or oil and 8-inch baking dish; set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook penne, according to package direction, for 2 minutes less than recommended on the package. Rinse pasta in cold water; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together cooked pasta and sauce gently but thoroughly. Pour pasta into prepared baking dish; sprinkle with cheeses and chile powder. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
The second time we made it we added a little extra chili powder because we like things a little spicier (see the first picture)!
Enjoy!
Love,
Elisabeth