By Jim Hingst
INGREDIENTS
16 ounces (approximately 4.5 cups) elbow macaroni (uncooked)
6 Tablespoons of butter (never be afraid to use a
little additional butter; NOTE: FYI, a stick of butter equals 8 Tablespoons)
1⁄2 cup AP flour
4 cups (32 oz. or a quart) whole milk or half-and-half
8 ounces (about 1/4 of a 2 lb. block) of processed
cheese such as Velveeta cut into cubes
4 ounces gouda cheese, shredded
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 ounces (half of a package) of cream cheese (allow the
cream cheese to soften at room temperature prior to use; divide into smaller
chunks)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced (Note: if you run out of fresh garlic you can use garlic powder – not garlic salt – as a substitute. 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder is equivalent to a standard size garlic clove). For this recipe you can use 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp dry mustard powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
½ tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp nutmeg powder
4 Tablespoons of hot sauce
Topping
1 cup of Panko breadcrumbs
3 Tablespoons butter
1 cup shredded cheese
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400⁰ F
degrees.
Cook macaroni according to
directions. Instead of boiling the pasta in salted water, consider cooking it
in chicken stock. Drain and set aside. While
the macaroni is still warm add a couple of tablespoons of butter. The melted
butter will prevent the pasta from sticking together.
In a separate pan warm the
milk and condensed mushroom soup.
Melt butter in a large Dutch
oven. Sauté the chopped onion on medium low heat for about 4 to 5 minutes until
it becomes translucent; then sauté the minced garlic for an additional 30
seconds to a minute.
Add flour and whisk together
to create a roux.
Season the roux with spices.
Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, continually whisking.
Gradually whisk in warmed milk
and cook over medium-low heat for about 6 to 8 minutes until mixture starts to
bubble and thickens. As the mixture heats and thickens, continually whisk it.
Turn the heat to very low. Add
cubes of Velveeta, shredded cheddar and gouda cheeses, the cream cheese and hot
sauce. Stir as the cheeses melt.
If the cheese mixture is too
thick, add more milk to achieve the desired creamy texture. It is always better
if the cheese sauce is a little more fluid than having the consistency of a
stiff paste.
Transfer cooked macaroni
into the Dutch oven. Gently combine the pasta with the cheese sauce.
After the macaroni and
cheese sauce are mixed, transfer the mac and cheese to a baking pan.
Cover the top with the
buttered bread crumbs and additional shredded cheese.
Bake at 400⁰ F in the oven
for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. The macaroni and cheese
is already cooked; the purpose of baking is merely to brown the topping.
Allow to cool for a few
minutes, then serve.
© 2023 Jim Hingst, All Rights Reserved
