Homemade Mac & Cheese Recipe

Listen. Excepting your making a very specific deal with Satan (or copious amounts of Velveeta), you'll never make a mac and cheese that beats the stuff in the box. Really. Never. Your kid will take one bite, say "eh," and move on to innovating other, novel ways to crush your spirit.

Which isn't to say we shouldn't try.

So here's a recipe I've modified from Babish's YouTube to pump up the flavor and ease down the difficulty without resorting to single-use ingredients like condensed milk or Velveeta. The ratio of cheeses gives flavor without the graininess that comes from too much aged cheddar. Half-and-Half makes for a roux that is just thick enough. Cream Cheese adds pep to the party AND helps keep the cheese sauce smooth. Mayo and lemon juice, though optional, help reduce grittiness.

It's a damn decent homemade mac n' cheese AND you get to keep your soul. Not too shabby.

Easy "Deal with the Devil" Homemade Mac & Cheese

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 (ish) minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients

The Pasta

• 200 grams pasta (about 2 1/2 cups; I use large shells or macaroni, anything that will hold cheese sauce works)

The Roux

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon flour

The Cheese

• 4 ounces mild cheddar, shredded
• 2 ounces aged white cheddar, shredded

The Flavors and Emulsifiers

• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise (optional)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
• 1 tablespoon reserved pasta water

The Salt and Pepper to Taste

• Salt and pepper to taste
• Or go crazy. Add some paprika. Some cayenne. You do you.

Method

1. Boil Pasta

    1. Boil pasta to specification, reserving 1 tablespoon pasta water.

2. Make a roux

    1. While pasta boils, melt butter in a large saucepan on medium-low heat until bubbly.

Mmmm. Bubbly Butter

    2. Combine cream and milk. (Or just use store-bought half in half? Or just milk? Life is short; who cares?)

    3. Whisk flour into melted butter and cook, whisking, for about one minute.

    4. Add cream milk mixture to the saucepan a few tablespoons at a time, whisking to combine completely before adding more. This may take a few minutes. Go slow and keep whisking to avoid lumps and graininess. Seriously. More whisking.

I call this stage, "oh 
crap, I ruined it..."

 ...add more cream
and keep whisking

    5. Once all milk and cream is added, continue to whisk until roux cooks to "nappe," thickened so it covers the back of a spoon and a finger traced through leaves a clean streak.

[Insert Don Imus joke that
no one will get here]

    6. Turn off heat. Do not overcook, or the resulting cheese sauce may end up grainy.
    7. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

3. Make a Cheese sauce

    1. Add the shredded cheeses to the roux.
    2. Gently fold mixture. Cheese sauce should be streaky and melty but not fully combined. Do. Not. Overmix.

    3. Cover pot while pasta finishes boiling.

4. Make Mac & Cheese

    1. Combine cream cheese and pasta water in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add mayo and lemon juice if desired.

    2. Drain cooked pasta. Do not rinse! The starches on the pasta will help thicken the sauce.

    3. Add pasta and cream cheese/mayo mixture to the cheese sauce.

    4. Fold to completely combine, until all the cheese is melted and no streaks remain.

5. Feel your soul leave your body when your kid immediately asks if there's any Annie's Shells and White Cheddar in the pantry.

    1. Eat more than you should in a single sitting to dull the rage. Whole pot usually does the trick for me.

    2. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container. Will keep for about 5-7 days.