Macaroni and Cheese 4-Ever

Some darling friends come over the other day to play through the entire Beatles Rockband catalog with me, and in order to build up our strength for that herculean task we ate (besides a heaping bowl of guacamole*) a ridiculous amount of homemade macaroni and cheese. I love homemade macaroni and cheese and it's easy to make, so I thought I'd share the recipe. I modified Pioneer Woman's recipe, which is unique in that she uses and egg to bind the sauce. I totally understand if you just go over there and read hers... I mean, she has pictures. However...

...Mine differs from hers mainly in the seasonings, the addition of cream, and the strange mixture of cheeses, which is a result of my cheese whims. Cheese whims: it's a real thing. Let your cheese whims be your guide. You can use whatever you want but be mindful of texture. I wouldn't use a pound of brie or a pound of goat cheese for this.

I'm not trying to compete (Never!). Just stating the facts, ma'am.

Macaroni and Cheese!

Here are my ingredients:

4 cups dry pasta shells
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cream
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

(These are all approximate--I always go nuts at the end and decide I need more. More! MORE!)
1/2 pound New York Cheddar, grated
1/4 pound Muenster, grated
1/4 pound Parmesan, grated

My instructions owe everything to P-dubs:

You will need two large pots and a large baking dish for this recipe. If you only have one large pot, begin by boiling the pasta until it is firm, about 5-6 minutes. Drain the pasta and set it aside while you prepare the sauce. If you have two, can can boil the pasta while you are preparing the sauce.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or grease a large baking dish.

Beat the egg in a separate, heat-proof bowl.

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, whisking constantly.

Add the milk and cream and continue to cook until the sauce thickens, about 8-10 minutes.

To temper the egg, slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the sauce into the beaten egg while whisking it. (This raises the temperature of the egg without cooking it and forming clots.) Whisk until smooth, then stir the egg/sauce mixture into the pot.

Reserving 1/2 cup cheese for topping, add your grated cheeses to the pot. Over low heat, stir until cheeses are melted and smooth. Add mustard, paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic. Taste the sauce! Adjust seasoning accordingly.

Remove from heat and fold drained pasta into sauce. Pour into baking dish and top with remaining cheese. You can eat it this way or bake it, 20-25 minutes, until bubbly. Eat, eat, eat.


*I changed my Guacamole recipe! Not earth shattering news for you, probably, but a big deal for me. No more jalapeno, cayenne, or paprika, more tomato, and... cilantro. It's better now. The whole world is better.