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Macaroni and cheese in American style

American-Style Baked Mac and Cheese

Pasta in a silky sauce under a golden cheese crust. Just about everyone has made mac and cheese at some point, but this version has an especially rich, deep cheese flavor — no wonder Americans love their mac and cheese. It's hearty and delicious, and genuinely easy to make.

Julia

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Pasta

300

Hard cheese

200

Mozzarella

100

Salt

Butter

Wheat flour

Milk

400

Nutmeg (a pinch)

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 24 % 12 g

Fats 27 % 13 g

Carbohydrates 49 % 24 g

255 kcal

GI: 8 / 79 / 13

Cooking method

Cooking time: 45 min

Step 1:

How do you make American-style mac and cheese? Gather your ingredients. Any pasta shape works, ideally one that's hollow (I used penne). You can use two kinds of hard cheese with different flavors, or mozzarella plus a hard cheese (I used mozzarella and Maasdam).
Step 2:

How do you cook pasta properly? Use a roomy pot with about 1 liter of water per 100 g of pasta. Salt it to taste. Be sure to add the pasta to boiling water, or it may stick together. Cook over medium heat, stirring now and then, until al dente (the package always lists the timing). Drain the cooked pasta in a colander — there's no need to rinse it.
Step 3:

Grate the hard cheese on the medium side of a grater.
Step 4:

Grate the mozzarella the same way.
Step 5:

While the pasta cooks, make a cheesy béchamel sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
Step 6:

Add the flour and stir. Cook the mixture over low heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Step 7:

Pour in the milk (not cold) in a thin stream, stirring vigorously to break up any lumps — a whisk helps. Over low heat, stirring often, bring the sauce to a boil and let it thicken slightly.
Step 8:

Add the nutmeg and stir.
Step 9:

Add the grated cheeses, setting aside some of the hard cheese for the top. I didn't salt the sauce, since the cheeses are already salty, but season to your taste.
Step 10:

Stir thoroughly until the cheese melts completely. The sauce comes out thick, smooth, and stretchy. Take it off the heat.
Step 11:

In a large bowl, combine the pasta with the cheese sauce and stir to coat.
Step 12:

Transfer the pasta to a baking dish greased with a little butter. Use one large dish or several individual ones.
Step 13:

Sprinkle the reserved hard cheese over the top.
Step 14:

Bake the mac and cheese in an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for about 20 minutes.
Step 15:

Serve the mac and cheese hot. Enjoy!

You can make mac and cheese without baking it — just toss the cooked pasta with the sauce and top with cheese. But in my opinion, it's the baked cheese crust that gives it that rich flavor.
Keep in mind that every oven is different, so the temperature and cooking time may vary from what's in the recipe. For any baked dish to turn out well, it helps to know your oven's quirks!
Turn the oven on ahead of time (10–20 minutes before you start cooking) so it reaches the right temperature.
Any oven-safe dish works for this recipe. A silicone mold doesn't need greasing, but it's best to lightly oil a metal, ceramic, or glass dish so nothing sticks or burns.