This delicious baked mac and cheese by Martha Stewart is the ultimate comfort food. Creamy, cheesy, and topped with golden, buttery breadcrumbs, it’s a quick and simple meal that’s perfect for weeknights or special occasions. With common pantry ingredients like cheddar and elbow macaroni, it’s flexible and easy to whip up anytime cravings strike!
Ingredients Needed:
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
- 6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into ¼- to ½-inch pieces
- 5 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 4 ½ cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)
- 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces) or 1 ¼ cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 5 ounces)
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
How To Make Mac And Cheese?
- Preheat the oven and prepare the dish: Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Butter a 3-litre (3-quart) casserole dish and set aside.
- Make the buttered breadcrumbs: Melt 28 g (2 tbsp) of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the melted butter over the bread pieces in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Set the breadcrumbs aside.
- Warm the milk: Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot but not boiling.
- Make the roux: Melt 85 g (6 tbsp) of butter in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter begins to bubble, whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add the milk and thicken the sauce: Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture, whisking continuously. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce bubbles and thickens.
- Add cheeses and spices to the sauce: Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 300 g (3 cups) of cheddar cheese, and 150 g (1 ½ cups) of Gruyere or 100 g (1 cup) of Pecorino Romano. Set the cheese sauce aside.
- Cook the macaroni: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for 2–3 minutes less than the package instructions suggest. The pasta should be slightly undercooked. Drain the macaroni and rinse under cold water.
- Combine macaroni and cheese sauce: Stir the drained macaroni into the cheese sauce, ensuring the pasta is evenly coated.
- Assemble the dish: Pour the macaroni and cheese mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese (150 g/1 ½ cups), Gruyere (50 g/½ cup), or Pecorino Romano (25 g/¼ cup), and the buttered breadcrumbs.
- Bake to perfection: Bake the mac and cheese in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and crisp.
- Serve: Let the dish cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack before serving. Enjoy hot!
Recipe Tips:
- Use room-temperature milk: Cold milk can cause lumps in the cheese sauce. Warm your milk slightly before adding it to the butter-flour mixture for a smooth, creamy result.
- Grate your own cheese: Pre-shredded cheese often has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly. Grating fresh cheese ensures a velvety sauce.
- Undercook the pasta: Boil the macaroni for 2–3 minutes less than the package instructions. This keeps it from becoming mushy when baked.
- Don’t skip rinsing the pasta: Rinsing the cooked pasta under cold water stops the cooking process and keeps it from sticking together.
- Bake until golden and bubbling: Keep an eye on the dish while baking. The top should be crispy and golden, with bubbling cheese underneath for the perfect texture.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: Let the leftover mac and cheese cool to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Allow the mac and cheese to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Transfer a portion to a microwave-safe dish, add a splash of milk to prevent it from drying, cover, and heat on medium power in 1-minute intervals, stirring between each, until hot.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 502
- Total Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Cholesterol: 76mg
- Sodium: 456mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 45g
- Dietary Fiber: 3g
- Sugars: 0g
- Protein: 23g
Martha Stewart Mac And Cheese
Description
This delicious baked mac and cheese by Martha Stewart is the ultimate comfort food. Creamy, cheesy, and topped with golden, buttery breadcrumbs, it’s a quick and simple meal that’s perfect for weeknights or special occasions. With common pantry ingredients like cheddar and elbow macaroni, it’s flexible and easy to whip up anytime cravings strike!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prepare the dish: Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Butter a 3-litre (3-quart) casserole dish and set aside.
- Make the buttered breadcrumbs: Melt 28 g (2 tbsp) of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the melted butter over the bread pieces in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Set the breadcrumbs aside.
- Warm the milk: Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot but not boiling.
- Make the roux: Melt 85 g (6 tbsp) of butter in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter begins to bubble, whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add the milk and thicken the sauce: Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture, whisking continuously. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce bubbles and thickens.
- Add cheeses and spices to the sauce: Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 300 g (3 cups) of cheddar cheese, and 150 g (1 ½ cups) of Gruyere or 100 g (1 cup) of Pecorino Romano. Set the cheese sauce aside.
- Cook the macaroni: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for 2–3 minutes less than the package instructions suggest. The pasta should be slightly undercooked. Drain the macaroni and rinse under cold water.
- Combine macaroni and cheese sauce: Stir the drained macaroni into the cheese sauce, ensuring the pasta is evenly coated.
- Assemble the dish: Pour the macaroni and cheese mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese (150 g/1 ½ cups), Gruyere (50 g/½ cup), or Pecorino Romano (25 g/¼ cup), and the buttered breadcrumbs.
- Bake to perfection: Bake the mac and cheese in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and crisp.
- Serve: Let the dish cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack before serving. Enjoy hot!
Notes
- Use room-temperature milk: Cold milk can cause lumps in the cheese sauce. Warm your milk slightly before adding it to the butter-flour mixture for a smooth, creamy result.
- Grate your own cheese: Pre-shredded cheese often has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly. Grating fresh cheese ensures a velvety sauce.
- Undercook the pasta: Boil the macaroni for 2–3 minutes less than the package instructions. This keeps it from becoming mushy when baked.
- Don’t skip rinsing the pasta: Rinsing the cooked pasta under cold water stops the cooking process and keeps it from sticking together.
- Bake until golden and bubbling: Keep an eye on the dish while baking. The top should be crispy and golden, with bubbling cheese underneath for the perfect texture.
Martha Stewart Mac And Cheese