Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 9 oz large elbow macaroni noodles
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk (warmed in microwave)
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese, packed
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, packed
- Optional – smoked paprika, black pepper
Boil the Pasta
Prepare pasta according to package directions.
Before you drain, reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water – you’ll likely need this later to thin out the cheese sauce.
Drain the noodles and set aside.
Make the Roux
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
Once melted, whisk in flour, mustard powder, salt, and garlic powder; cook for ~1 minute until the mixture is golden and starts bubbling.
This step cooks out the raw flour taste and creates the base for a smooth sauce.
Add Milk and Thicken
Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly add the warmed milk, whisking constantly.
The sauce will be lumpy at first but keep whisking – it’ll smooth out.
Cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon; this usually takes ~3-5 minutes.
Melt in the Cheese
Remove the pan from heat – this prevents the cheese from seizing up.
Add the cheese gradually, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until each addition melts completely before adding more.
The residual heat will melt the cheese perfectly without making it stringy or grainy.
Combine and Adjust
Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked pasta and stir to combine.
If the sauce feels too thick, add the reserved pasta water 1/4 cup at a time until you get the consistency you want.
Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. The cheese adds saltiness so start light.
Serve immediately with a sprinkle of smoked paprika if you want.
Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 9 oz large elbow macaroni noodles
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk warmed in microwave
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese packed
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese packed
- Optional – smoked paprika black pepper
Instructions
- Cooling/Resting Time: 0 minutes
- Cook pasta according to package directions and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in flour, mustard powder, salt, and garlic powder and cook for 1 minute until golden and bubbling.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly add warmed milk, whisking constantly until smooth.
- Cook, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add cheese gradually, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until melted before adding more.
- Pour cheese sauce over pasta and stir to combine.
- Add reserved pasta water 1/4 cup at a time if sauce is too thick.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve immediately with optional smoked paprika.
