Homemade Mac 'n' Cheese

 

Everyone has their weaknesses — mine happens to be mac and cheese.

I’ve ordered it at hip restaurants, and I've made it from a box. Sometimes it’s excellent, but most of the time it disappoints. So, I embarked on a quest for the perfect homemade macaroni and cheese — a version that mimicked the creaminess of the boxed version, but with much better flavor and a more complex texture. After dozens of failed attempts, I stumbled upon the secret ingredient:

In a word: Velveeta.

I know what you're thinking, but if an ingredient or technique makes a dish taste better then I am all for it. The key lies in how much Velveeta you use — you certainly don't want it to overpower the dish. I came up with a recipe that you can make for your family, serve to guests, take to potlucks. I promise you, people will go nuts for it. But don’t mention the V-word. It’ll be our little secret.

Mac ‘n’ Cheese
 
Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, left whole
• 8 ounces Velveeta, cut into small cubes
• 8 ounces extra sharp Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (do NOT use pre-shredded)
• 4 ounces gouda, fontina, or gruyère, coarsely grated
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 4 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced (optional)
Topping:
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Heat medium covered saucepot of salted water to boiling on high. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a large saucepot, melt butter on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle in flour. Cook 1 minute or until well combined, stirring constantly with wooden spoon. Reduce heat to medium-low.
3. While whisking, slowly drizzle milk into pot (really, really slowly, it should take about 3 minutes to pour in all the milk). At first, the mixture will be really pasty and hard to whisk, but power through. Stop pouring occasionally to whisk away all lumps and whisk around edges. This is the key to a smooth base for your cheese sauce. Add garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
4. Heat sauce to simmering on medium heat, whisking frequently and scraping bottom and edges of pot, making sure sauce isn’t sticking. Let simmer 1 minute or until thickened, whisking constantly.
5. By the handful, add cheeses to sauce, stirring and waiting until cheese melts before adding next handful. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, if desired. The sauce should be a smidgen saltier than you think it should be because when you eat it with the bland macaroni, the flavor will balance out. Remove and discard garlic cloves.
6. Add macaroni to boiling water. Cook for half the time the label directs; drain well and stir into cheese sauce. Transfer to 3-quart baking dish. Top with tomato slices, if using.
7. In med. bowl, stir together ingredients for Topping. Sprinkle over tomatoes. Bake macaroni and cheese 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and crumbs are golden brown. Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.