Creamy Mac and Cheese
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Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. This post is for informational purposes only.
Mac and cheese is such a classic comfort food. With that being said, it doesn’t mean you can’t use high quality ingredients that are better for your overall health to make it. No, I’m not talking about using chickpea pasta or anything of that sort. What I’m referring to here is using grassfed milk and cheese and even using the raw forms of these dairy sources. Grassfed and raw dairy ensures more bioavailable nutrients. Now, a good bit of the nutrients will be diminished while cooking, but there will still be some benefits as opposed to industrial dairy. The issue with industrial dairy is that is it pasteurized, so much of the nutrients are altered/diminished. You can even take it a step further and make your own pasta! I personally use organic store-bought pasta, but making my own will be my next venture.
The Most Important Ingredient - Cheese
The type of cheese you use is one of the most important parts of your mac and cheese recipe. The cheese gives the dish most of its flavor and depth. Although, this doesn’t mean several different types of cheese need to be used. I think there is a time and place for that. But, for a classic mac and cheese recipe like this one, I only use one type of cheese. That’s one of the things that makes this recipe so simple to make. You also won’t need to pick up 10 different ingredients at the store. Keep reading for this easy, delicious recipe. Now, let’s get to cooking!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz of your favorite pasta (I use shells for this recipe)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups freshly grated raw cheddar cheese (I use azure standard bulk raw cheese)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Heat saucepan over medium heat.
- Add butter to pan and fully melt.
- Whisk in flour and mix around the pan for 1-2 minutes until the flour is well incorporated.
- Slowly add cold milk while stirring constantly.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and heat mixture for about 10 minutes or until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove saucepan from heat and slowly stir in 2.5 cups of cheese until melted and smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta to the saucepan and mix with the cheese.
- Add the remaining 1.5 cups of cheese on top of the cheese and pasta mixture.
- Put mac and cheese in oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned and bubbly.
Notes
- The ingredients list mentions using freshly grated cheese. This is important because pre-grated cheese is coated to keep it from sticking together, so it doesn’t melt as smoothly and easily.
- If you don’t have heavy cream, you can use two cups of half and half and two cups whole milk instead. You can also use only whole milk, but the dish won’t be as rich.
- The baking step for this mac and cheese can be skipped, but I find it adds a little something extra and makes the dish more visually appealing.
Easy Creamy Mac and Cheese
Keep your screen from going dark
8-10
servings10
minutes30
minutesIngredients
16 oz of your favorite pasta (I use shells)
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 cups freshly grated raw cheddar cheese (I use azure standard bulk raw cheese)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Heat saucepan over medium heat.
Add butter to pan and fully melt.
Whisk in flour and mix around the pan for 1-2 minutes until the flour is well incorporated.
Slowly add cold milk while stirring constantly.
Reduce heat to medium-low and heat mixture for about 10 minutes or until it coats the back of a spoon.
Remove saucepan from heat and slowly stir in 2.5 cups of cheese until melted and smooth.
Add the cooked pasta to the saucepan and mix with the cheese.
Add the remaining 1.5 cups of cheese on top of the cheese and pasta mixture.
Put mac and cheese in oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned and bubbly.
Notes
- The ingredients list mentions using freshly grated cheese. This is important because pre-grated cheese is coated to keep it from sticking together, so it doesn't melt as smoothly and easily.
- If you don't have heavy cream, you can use two cups of half and half and two cups whole milk instead. You can also use only whole milk, but the dish won't be as rich.
- The baking step for this mac and cheese can be skipped, but I find it adds a little something extra and makes the dish more visually appealing.
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