Ingredients
- 3 slices sturdy white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 tablespoon salt (for pasta water)
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 5 cups whole milk
- 8 ounces (227 grams) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
- 10 ounces (283 grams) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 1/2 cups)
Before You Begin
Consider serving this mac and cheese with hot sauce and/or celery salt for extra flavor.
Make the Bread Crumb Topping
Place your oven rack in the lower-middle position and preheat the broiler.
In a food processor, pulse the bread and chilled butter together until coarsely ground, about 7 to 10 pulses. Set aside the bread crumb mixture.
Cook the Pasta
In a large Dutch oven, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil.
Add the macaroni and 1 tablespoon of salt. Stir frequently and cook until the pasta is tender.
Drain the cooked macaroni and set it aside in a colander.
Make the Cheese Sauce
In the now-empty pot, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat.
Whisk in the flour, mustard, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook this mixture for 1 minute.
Slowly whisk in the milk until the texture is smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook, whisking occasionally, until it thickens to the consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and whisk in the shredded cheeses until fully melted.
Return the drained macaroni to the pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the pasta is steaming and thoroughly heated, about 6 minutes.
Broil and Serve
Transfer the macaroni and cheese mixture into a 13 by 9-inch broiler-safe baking dish.
Top with the prepared bread-crumb mixture. Broil until the crumbs are a deep golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Rotate the dish if needed for even browning.
Let the mac and cheese rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Classic Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 slices sturdy white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 tablespoon salt, for pasta water
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 5 cups whole milk
- 8 ounces 227 grams Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
- 10 ounces 283 grams sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 1/2 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat broiler; place rack in lower-middle position.
- Pulse bread and chilled butter in a food processor until coarse. Set aside.
- Boil 4 quarts water in a Dutch oven. Add macaroni and 1 tbsp salt; cook until tender. Drain and set aside.
- In the empty pot, melt 6 tbsp butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour, mustard, cayenne, and 1 tsp salt; cook 1 min.
- Slowly whisk in milk. Bring to boil, then reduce to medium. Cook, whisking, until thickened, about 5 mins.
- Remove from heat; whisk in cheeses until melted.
- Return macaroni to pot; cook over medium-low, stirring, until heated, about 6 mins.
- Transfer to a 13×9-inch broiler-safe dish; top with bread crumbs.
- Broil until golden brown, 3-5 mins. Let rest 5 mins. Serve.