davidbau.com World's best Mac and Cheese

World's best Mac and Cheese

Anybody with kids knows that kid food can get more than a little tiring. Hot dogs; plain cheese pizza; grilled cheese sandwiches; mac and cheese.

I've found an excellent solution to this problem - the World's Best Macaroni and Cheese. Yes, it's true, this is the world's very best. It is yummy for grown-ups and kids too.

Here's what you do. Next time you're at Costco (really - they have a great and huge cheese section - or you could get it on Amazon I suppose), look for a big hunk of Fontina and a big hunk of Gruyere cheese. Don't substitute cheapo cheddar or other oily cheeses. You don't want to end up tasting like Kraft.

Amount	Ingredient
1 lb	macaroni
1/4 cup	butter
3 tbsp	flour
2 cups	chicken broth
1 cup	heavy cream
1 cup	Shredded Fontina cheese
1 cup	Shreeded Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup	Breadcrumbs
a bit	Parmesan, blue cheese, etc

Grate all your cheese and get the macaroni boiling.
Stop the macaroni while it is still undercooked.
White sauce: melt the butter, mix in the flour.
Mix a bit of chicken broth slowly until it is mashed-potato-like.
Very slowly add the rest of chicken broth, keeping the sauce white, and boil.
Mix in the heavy cream, and boil.
Then gradually mix in the cheeses and keep it bubbling.
Mix macaroni into the sauce, and put into a casserole dish.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs and other seasoning as desired.
Bake until browned (400, 20 minutes). Yum!

Posted by David at April 30, 2005 07:29 AM

Dude! Your recipe is going to kill someone with a coronary. Try using plain milk or half-and-half if you want to make it meatless or lower sodium.

Also, if you do step 4, advise your friends to use a whisk. I have screwed up many a white sauce by not using a whisk. I've ended up with a lumpy mess. There's few things sadder than a ruined white sauce when it's so damned easy to make one. Remind them too, that the heat should not be too hot either and that the butter should coat every last piece of flour. If not, your sauce will taste floury.

I used to work at Rollers Market in high school. It's kind of far from where you live, but closer to you than to me. They carry some fantastic cheeses. I got my education in fontina and gruyere while working there.

The question is, do you add peas or bacon to yours? Try it with smoked gouda. I had it like that at Fog City Diner once. To die for. (but salty)

Posted by: mapgirl at May 9, 2005 09:24 PM