Description
A rich and creamy macaroni and cheese recipe that is simple to make and delicious!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups milk, preferably whole
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 ounces macaroni pasta
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (use medium or sharp)
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add flour, stir constantly and cook 40 to 50 seconds, until toasted (don’t let it get darker in color).
- Pour in milk and give a good mix. Add water, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a very gentle simmer (don’t let it boil).
- Add macaroni, give a good mix, reduce heat to low-medium and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The pasta tends to settle at the bottom, so it needs to be mixed occasionally until the pasta is a shy of al dente and the sauce is pretty runny.
- Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheddar and paprika. Gently stir until cheese is melted and is silky smooth. Serve hot!
- If the sauce looks very thick, then stir in a splash of hot milk or water.
Notes
- Pasta keeps cooking after you remove from heat. So remove it when it is about a minute short of al dente.
- The sauce might look runny but it thickens significantly with the addition of cheese and as it cools.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 19g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 80mg