Simple Stay-home Recipes: Creamy Mac & Cheese

I have always loved eating Mac & Cheese since I was a kid. My motto was always “the creamier, the better” when it came to this yummy dish. Making this pasta seemed like a good idea with the ‘Circuit Breakers’ in place, since the cost of ordering food delivery every day really adds up. 

If you’ve seen our other #Stayhome recipes (Ramen Pancake, Bak Chor Mee, Spicy Korean Fried Chicken, 5-Ingredient Shrimp Wanton Noodles and One-Pot Chicken & Mushroom Rice), you’ll notice that they’re all Asian dishes.

This time, try your hand at one of the most famous Western dishes, and one of my favourite childhood meals: Mac & Cheese. 

There are many variations out there when it comes to Mac & Cheese, and this is one that is focused on making the creamy, white sauce. If you’re looking for a simpler alternative, you can just use bottled Alfredo sauce (I typically prefer the Leggos Alfredo sauce). 

An absolutely delicious meal you can share with your family members at home, Mac & Cheese is a yummy dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. 

Ingredients

• 500g dried elbow macaroni
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups whole milk
• 2 ½ cups half and half 
• 4 cups grated cheddar cheese (feel free to change it up)
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (feel free to change it up)
• ½ tablespoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon paprika 

Tools

• Pot
• Saucepan 
• Casserole Dish 
• Big Bowl
• Whisk

Recipe Preparation

Preparation time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 30 minutes

Feeds three to four

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celcius. 
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. 
• Add dried macaroni and cook till al dente. I like my pasta a little harder than usual so I typically cook it for around five minutes on medium heat. 
• Drain the pasta. 
• Put the cheeses together and separate them into three piles. Half of the total amount of cheese will go into making the sauce, while the other half will be set aside for baking. 
• Melt the butter into a saucepan over medium heat. 
• Add the flour in and whisk to combine the two components together. 
• Continue to whisk the mixture for about one minute. 
• Slowly pour in the milk/half-and-half mixture whilst whisking constantly till smooth. 
• Continue to heat it at medium heat while whisking until thickened to a creamy consistency. 
• Stir in the spices and half the cheese mixture, and keep stirring till it’s completely smooth and blended. 
• In the big mixing bowl, combine both the dried pasta and cheese mixture. 
• Pour half of this pasta mix into the casserole dish, and top it with half of the remaining grated cheese. 
• Pour the rest of the pasta mixture on top of it. 
• Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on top and bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes or at least till a crisp, golden-brown.
• Enjoy your very own Mac & Cheese with toppings of your choice!
  

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Recipe (In Pictures)

Step 1: Prepare all your ingredients in separate bowls so it’s easier to add the various components into the mixture. 

Step 2: Boil the macaroni in salted water and drain it once it’s al dente, or to your preference. 

Step 3: Melt the butter over medium heat and add the milk/half-and-half mixture to the melted butter. Keep whisking the mixture. 

Step 4: Add in the spices and grated cheese whilst whisking constantly to form a thick, gravy-like consistency. 

Step 5: Transfer the dried, cooked pasta and the sauce mixture into a large mixing bowl. 

Step 6: Add half of the mixture into your casserole dish and sprinkle half of the remaining cheese on top of it. 

Step 7: Proceed to add the other half of the pasta mixture and top it all off with the rest of the cheese. 

Step 8: Bake this dish at 200 degrees Celcius, or until a bubbly, golden-brown.

Voilà! You now have a delicious Mac & Cheese dish to share with your family.

Feel free to add different toppings of your choice to this delectable pasta dish. I added honey baked ham and garnished my share of the dish with parsley.

I was so surprised at how creamy the sauce was—it was a totally different experience as compared to when I just used Leggos Alfredo sauce as the base. Making my own sauce was definitely more satisfying than just using a pre-packaged base. However, if you’re in a rush, save time by using packaged sauce instead of making your own from scratch. 

Sure it may be sinful, but I enjoyed every bite of it and felt very accomplished after completing the Mac & Cheese. Go on, give this recipe a try. 

The best thing about this recipe is that you’re able to change it up and tailor it to your own preference. Try it with your favourite pasta, cheeses, and protein and share your results with us!

Expected Damage: S$15 – S$20 per portion 

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