Mac-pack-aroni & Cheese

A cheesy pasta dish that lives up to my nickname. They don't call me Macaroni for nothing ;)

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67245d_516108c1feec463188f15d2518ce6fce/720p/mp4/file.mp4

This macaroni and cheese is packed with creaminess, cheesiness, and a sprinkle of crunchiness using a classical french bechamel sauce, three cheeses, and a bread crumb coat.

This will get you invited to the cookout.

Are you needing a side guaranteed to be loved by the masses? Whether you're a picky eater or a connoisseur of the finest macs, you will love this dish. It can be a side or a main dish when sprinkled with some pre-cooked chicken. I've even gone so far as to freeze slices of this, batter it, and then deep fry it into mac-and-cheese balls.

It's so versatile and so loved.

This isn't the dry mac and cheese that you may have gotten used to.

This mac and cheese is creamy. It's not flaky and gummy like so many of the mac and cheeses I've become accustomed to at barbecue joints and cookouts. This mac and cheese is not for the lactose-intolerant (including myself). It's left me many-a-nights sick in the bathroom, but with ZERO regrets.

Okay, now here is the actual recipe.

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Mac-pack-aroni & Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 qt. milk

• 1 onion (peeled, cut in half)

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 Tbsp. garlic, minced

• 5 Tbsp. butter

• 1/4 c. all purpose flour

• 2 tsp. salt

• pepper to taste (white pepper if you're feeling bougie)

• 1 c. gruyere cheese, cubed

• 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, cubed

• 1 c. cheddar cheese

• 1 c. heavy cream

• 1 lb. dried elbow pasta

• 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs

• 1/2 tsp. cayenne

• 1/4 c. parmesan or pecorino romano cheese, shredded

Recipe:

1. Add milk, onion half, and bay leaf to a small pot and heat on low heat. We are steeping the milk in these so that our mac has some delicious underlying flavors. Be careful to not burn or boil the milk. I steep my milk for about 20 minutes to give it time to absorb the flavors.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, approximately 1-2 minutes before being completely done.

3. In a medium sauce pan on medium heat, add butter. Once butter is melted, add garlic until you can smell it. Be careful to not brown or burn garlic.

4. Add flour to butter-garlic mixture while on medium heat and cook until it becomes a sandy-blonde paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes until flour taste is cooked out. You will know it's ready when it starts to smell like pie dough. Be careful not to brown it. This mixture is called a roux.

5. Remove bay leaf and onion from milk. Whisk milk into the roux until no lumps are left. Leave it on medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Continue mixing so it doesn't burn or develop a skin.

6. Once it comes to a simmer and starts to thicken, turn the temperature to low heat. This is when you will salt and pepper your sauce to taste. Add gruyere cheese, cheddar cheese, and mozzarella cheese and keep mixing until they're all melted and mixed in. There may be small chunks of mozzarella throughout, and that's okay.

7. Add heavy cream to cheese sauce. Add cheese sauce to pasta in a 13x9 casserole dish. Spread evenly in dish. If the sauce does not easily coat the pasta, add a little heavy cream/milk until it's thin enough to easily coat the pasta. I salt and pepper the top of the dish.

8. In a small bowl, add panko bread crumbs and cayenne. Mix thoroughly and salt/pepper them. Sprinkle panko bread crumbs over pasta to create a tasty crust. Sprinkle shredded parmesan/pecorino over bread crumbs.

9. Bake mac and cheese at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling. Let cool for 5 minutes, serve hot.