Cheese Macaroni

You might want to call this Macaroni & Cheese, but the cheese is the star so we’re calling it like it is

Cheese Macaroni

The great thing about this dish is it could be satisfying as a main or paired as a side with an endless number of proteins

You’ll want to call it Cheese Macaroni too when you taste how silky and delicious the cheese sauce is and how it coats the pasta… yum

Let’s start with the perfect cheese sauce

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepot until slightly browned and whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour

Bring 3 cups of milk and 4 cups of shredded cheese of choice to room temperature

Add milk to the pot with the butter-flour roux and slowly bring to a simmer

Whisk in 4 cups of shredded cheese

You can use cheddar, mozzarella, gruyere, swiss, montery jack, etc.  Any good melting cheese

Important note: buy cheese chunks or blocks and shred yourself.  The pre-shredded cheese never seems to melt as well

Whisk until you have a smooth cheese sauce

Add in a pinch of kosher salt if necessary and a few drops each of Worcestershire Sauce and hot sauce

Make a pound of your favorite pasta – I used penne because it’s what I had in the pantry

I undercook the pasta about 2 minutes since it will bake in the oven and drizzle a little olive oil after I drain the water so it doesn’t clump together

Put your pasta in an oven safe casserole and pour the creamy cheese sauce over top

Combine to make sure every pasta noodle is covered in a warm, delicious blanket of cheesy love

I know, I’m getting carried away here.  Cheese has that effect on me

Last step – melt one tablespoon of butter in a frying pan and add in 2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs

   Mix to combine the breadcrumbs and the melted butter and toast for about 5-7 minutes

Keep stirring so the crumbs don’t over brown, you just want them lightly toasted

Sprinkle in about a tablespoon of fresh parsley for some color and freshness

Evenly layer the breadcrumb mixture over the casserole and place uncovered in your preheated oven

Looks good already!

 

 

After 30 minutes, your Cheese Macaroni should be all bubbly and browned

Oh the smell of this cheesy, bubbly, buttery crumbed pasta

Find out why we named this Cheese Macaroni and let us know what you think!

Enjoy!

Tools used to make this recipe

ZYLISS Quik Blend Whisk