This is a restaurant-quality mac and cheese. It’s addictively cheesy. Not soupy, not dry … creamy and melty instead: the perfect baked-mac texture. Deeply flavorful. The crunchy topping puts it right over the top. And did I say cheesy? Oh, so cheesy. The garlic oil gives it a subtle, je ne sais quoi quality.
Mac and Cheese
4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
2 Tbs garlic-infused olive oil, divided
1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped
1½ cups cracker crumbs (see notes)
7 Tbs butter, divided, plus more for baking dish
4½ cups (about 18 oz.) grated sharp white cheddar cheese, divided (see note)
2 cups (about 8 oz.) grated Gruyère, divided
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp Freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
4¾ cups of milk
¾ cup half-n-half
½ cup AP flour
2 tsp Kosher salt, plus more for seasoning and pasta water
1 lb. elbow macaroni
Directions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat (4 of 9). Add the onion, lower the heat a tad (3) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, translucent, and just beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Off heat; set aside.
- Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. If it reaches the boil before you’re ready to boil the macaroni (in Step 8), turn the heat to its lowest setting and keep the pot covered, so that you can return it to a boil quickly.
- Place the crumbs in a medium bowl. Microwave 2 tablespoons butter until melted. Pour it over the crumbs and stir thoroughly; set aside. Place 1½ cups of the cheddar and ½-cup of the Gruyère in a small container and reserve it for topping. Place the rest into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with nutmeg, black pepper, and cayenne pepper; set aside.
- Warm the milk and half-n-half in a medium-sized saucepot over medium heat. Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons butter along with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same (unwashed) skillet you used for the onions, over medium heat (setting 4). When the butter bubbles (don’t let it brown), add the flour. Cook, stirring 1 minute.
- While whisking, add a ladleful of hot milk to the flour mixture. As soon as its incorporated, whisk in another ladleful. Continue in this manner until you’ve incorporated 4 or 5 ladlesful, then whisk in all the remaining milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.
- Pour the milk mixture into the mixing bowl with the cheese. Whisk until all the cheese melts. Taste; add salt as neccesary (you may not need all 2 teaspoons of it). Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to convection-bake 350°F (regular oven: 375°F). Butter a 13x9x2¼ baking pan; set aside.
- Cook the macaroni until the outside of the pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni and the onion into the reserved cheese sauce.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and add the crumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.
Notes
- I like oyster crackers or saltines for this purpose, although any cracker will do. I’ve used everything from Cheez-Its to Doritos. Oyster crackers have a heft to them that I love; saltines seem much more refined in terms of texture. It will take more than 1.5 cups, but less than 1.75 cups, of whole oyster cracker to produce the required amount of crushed. And the most effective and efficient way to crush them is to put them in a gallon-size Ziploc and roll them with a rolling pin.
- Substitute whatever cheese you want for the cheddar.
- This amount of cayenne will give the mac just a bit of noticeable background warmth. Skip it if you like.
- Right from the oven, the mac will stay warm for quite some time, so no rush on serving it.
- Reheat single portions with a splash of milk, covered in vented plastic wrap, for about 3 minutes on 50% power. Reheats beautifully. Perhaps not as magical as fresh, but still an absolute pleasure.
The Backstory
My husband was kind enough to plan a little get-together, and wanted to do all the cooking as a favor to me. He doesn’t really cook, but what he does do is put together fabulous charcuteries. The foods and the layouts are marvelous … and always excessive. He made charcuterie for dozens of people, even though there were only five of us. The leftover cheeses went into the fridge. Some of it went on a picnic the next day, with another set of friends, but there was still a ton of it left in the fridge, and it seemed to be yelling out to me, “Mac and cheese!”
I’m not sure what these cheeses were exactly … most were hard, white cheeses; one was a hard, orange variety; one was a soft blue. I decided to use them all instead of the cheddar called for in the recipe, and it turned out beautifully.
Social Learning
This recipe will dirty a lot of bowls and pots, and will require you to use three burners at once. I don’t know if that sounds like a big deal to you, but I do a lot of cooking, and it’s rare that I use three burners at once. On the bright side, it doesn’t require exceptional multitasking skills, and won’t stress you out … but it will keep you fully occupied. You will feel a bit like a wizard when you’re in the middle of it all.
The mac is done baking when you see a tiny bit of bubbling at the edges of the pan, but it’s so subtle that you will have to remove the pan from the oven to see it. This should take at the very most 40 minutes. You’ll get the best browning in a convection oven. If you use a regular oven, the topping may not brown in in amount of time that it takes to get bubbling. In that case, run it under the broiler for a minute or two.
You won’t notice the onion in the texture of the finished mac. It simply adds flavor. I would also add that this mac doesn’t taste oniony or garlicy. Those flavors simply give depth and complexity to the dish.
The backbone of this recipe comes from one that is apparently the most popular recipes Martha Stewart has ever produced. I modified it to make use of what I had on hand at the time, and to make the procedure more efficient without sacrificing anything in the results. On top of that, I also incorporated tips and tricks from several other good recipes, including a few from Kitchen Riffs. I recommend the Riffs recipes, because they give such good and thorough explanations of how the process works. You’ll find links in the fine print, below.
Mac and Cheese
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! unless otherwise credited. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. Thank you, Kesor. Thanks, Prosper Circle. References: From Kitchen Riffs: Old-School Macaroni & Cheese, Bacon Macaroni & Cheese. Others: Feast and Farm, Food 52, Kitchn, “Macaroni and Cheese.” In Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. (Des Moines, IA: Meredith Corporation, 1996), 361. “Macaroni and Cheese 101.” In The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics. (New York: Clarkson Potter, 2000), 197. See also: Real-Chili Chili Mac Casserole.
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I’m always curious as to what cheeses people choose for their Mac. I like your choices. Gruyere is just so good, and sharp cheddar is, well, it’s good too! I don’t usually make this, but I’m printing your recipe. You never know…
Chef Mimi recently posted…Creamy Beet Potato Gratin
I think that because the Gruyere is so melty, it allows you to use just about whatever other cheese you want. The best thing about this recipe, is that it’s baked, but it’s also creamy without being runny or curdled.
You have me at addictively cheesy. Your husband should do more charcuteries :-))
angiesrecipes recently posted…Biftekia Greek Meat Patties
Yes, he should! 😉
Adoro questo piatto, così appetitoso e appagante!!!!
speedy70 recently posted…CASONCELLI di SALSICCIA con PEPERONI
Thank you so much!
This is a decadent dish. It puts Kraft to shame.
Well, that wouldn’t be so hard to do. 😉 But thanks!
I’m all in on this one! with all that cheese – yes please! I think if I am to make Mac n Cheese it’s got to be excellent – so thanks for this excellent recipe! I love the idea of using an array of different cheeses and I’m totally here for some blue cheese in the mix!
Laura recently posted…Watermelon Feta Salad with Peanuts, Basil and Mint
🙂
I’m a huge fan of mac and cheese, and oh man this looks fantastic – so rich, creamy, and utterly unhealthy, I mean delicious haha. Perfection!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen recently posted…Strawberry Mozzarella Salad
Hehe. Probably not so healthy!
You can’t beat a good mac-and-cheese! Even Robbie loves homemade mac-and-cheese. (He ordered it while we were on vacation a couple of weeks ago, and that version used gouda. He liked it – imagine that! A 5-year-old eating gouda mac-and-cheese. Haha!) I’m intrigued by the use of blue cheese here. Sounds fantastic, Jeff!
David @ Spiced recently posted…Smoked Spinach Artichoke Dip
Thanks, David! Little Robbie obviously has discerning tastes that he inherited from his father!
Wow, that does sound very yummy indeed… and…. very complicated.
I only had mac and cheese once – from ALDI, it was awful.
Iris Flavia recently posted…Cuba, People and Accents (long one)
Love every morsel of this. Love the cheese combination, though I have been known to combine up to 7 cheeses (it all depends on what was leftover in the cheese bin!). Definitely a perfect comfort meal!
Mac and cheese scream my name and addictively sermons more happiness. Loved your backstory and I guess I can resonate with that as I have a man who always miscalculates the quantity while cooking for guests.😸😸😸
Hasin recently posted…Date Rolls
I am salivating as I read through the blog and ogled the photos. Mac and cheese is one of our favourites. Definitely going to give this a go.
Eva Taylor recently posted…Thai Green Curry “Risotto”
Mac and Cheese is my weakness. I would never turn down a heaping serving of it. My kids are horrible though in the way of using the cracker crumbs on top. I LOVE them. They get mad when I use them. I have to only put it on top of half the dish when we make homemade mac and cheese. I’m pinning your recipe to try for a night when it’s just me and the husband home for dinner because I want to try this with the crumbs!
Theresa recently posted…Entenmann’s Minis Sprinklefest Giveaway #Entenmanns #SprinklefestGiveaway
Jeff,
Is there anyone who doesn’t LOVE Mac and cheese? Your recipe takes it up a notch . Can’t wait to try it.
Judee recently posted…Vegan Salad Nicoise
Looks absolutely like comfy food!
I love cheese so much!!
gloria Roa Baker recently posted…Lemon blueberry tart (Tarta de arandanos congelados o naturales)
Wow, nice post about remarkable mac and cheese, I think your post very helpful for lot of people, Thanks for sharing.
“Remarkable” is the right word for this mac & cheese. This is one of my comfort foods so it’s got to be good. You definitely hits the mark of total goodness.
mjskitchen recently posted…Peach Jam – Small Batch, No Pectin
Mac and cheese can be so hard to get right, which for me means creamy without being soupy and really cheesy. Your rendition looks perfect!
Frank recently posted…Risotto agli asparagi (Asparagus Risotto)