Ingredients:
1lb Elbow Macaroni (Cavatappi works well too!)
3c Cheese, shredded (I use a blend of 2c Monterey Jack / 1c Colby Jack blend)
2c Heavy Whipping Cream
2T Butter
2T AP Flour
1/2t Smoked Paprika
1/2t Black Pepper
Optional:
1/3c Panko Bread Crumbs
1/3c shredded cheese
Fresh or Dried Parsley, for garnish
Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions
2. Meanwhile, heat butter over medium heat in large skillet
3. Once butter is melted, add in flour, to create a roux
4. Stir constantly with a whisk until roux smells toasty and is a nice, light, golden brown (this should take about 3 minutes). You want to make sure you cook out the raw flour taste, but you also don't want to create a dark roux
5. Reduce heat to low, and slowly stir in cream. If you add the cold cream too quickly, this may cause the roux to harden. I always measure out my cream 30 minutes before starting my mac and cheese, just so its not so cold when I add it in
6. Add in smoked paprika and black pepper, once the cream has been incorporated
7. Remove sauce from burner, add shredded cheese 1/3 of a cup at a time. Often times if the pan is too hot, the cheese can break down too much, creating a gritty texture. Turning the burner to low when you incorporate your milk should keep this from happening
8. When macaroni is done cooking, drain, and add to cheese sauce
9. Mix well to make sure all of the noodles are covered
10. (Optional) Turn on oven to broil
11. Mix together 1/3c shredded cheese and 1/3c panko bread crumbs
12. Sprinkle over top of mac and cheese
13. Broil until panko is golden brown
14. Garnish with fresh or dried parsley
Makes approximately 4-6 servings
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