Mac and Cheese is a really tasty and easy to prepare dish. Mac and Cheese can be served in many creative ways, and the recipe is quite simple.
Mac and Cheese Ingredients:
- 250 g of elbow macaroni (weighed before cooking)
- One glass 250 ml of whole milk
- 200 g cheddar cheese (can be mixed with parmesan)
- Two tablespoons (35 g) of real butter
- Two tablespoons of wheat flour (for example, all-purpose flour) or up to 30 grams of pepper
Mac and Cheese
My glass is 250 milliliters. The given ingredients make approximately 930 grams of macaroni and cheese (4 servings).
After cooking 250 grams of elbow-shaped dried wheat pasta, you will get approximately 560 grams of pasta.
The basis for calculating calories were the ingredients I used. Therefore, this is an estimated number of calories calculated based on the ingredients I used in the recipe. I suggest reading the entire recipe before preparing your macaroni and cheese meal so that you can prepare all the ingredients well in advance.
Mac and Cheese Recipe
Cook dried pasta (250 grams). I chose wheat pasta, called “elbow”, although you can also get pasta in the shape of drills, shells or farralle. Fill a pot with water and heat until it boils. It takes 2.5 liters of water to boil 250 grams of dried pasta. Add salt to the water only when it starts to boil.
Add a teaspoon of salt to boiling water. Cook the pasta al dente and put it in a pot. While the pasta is cooking, stir it. Once the pasta is cooked, immediately return it to the pot or colander. The pasta should be barely moist. This time I received approximately 567 grams of cooked pasta.
Prepare a deeper pan that is larger. Place over medium heat and add two teaspoons of butter. When the butter becomes liquid, reduce the heat to a simmer and gradually add two tablespoons of flour, one tablespoon at a time, stirring the contents of the pot.
Let us remind you that the burner has low power. Any lumps of flour can be broken up with a wooden spoon. When the mixture is smooth, pour in all the milk (one glass, preferably slightly warm). Increase the burner power. Always stir the sauce. With more stirring, the sauce will thicken slightly. It may take five minutes to complete. Don’t forget to stir constantly.
Add 200 g of grated cheddar cheese to the sauce (I used a mixture of Cheddar and Mimolette cheese). Once the cheese has melted and combined with the sauce, stir it with a wooden spoon for up to five minutes over low heat. Finally, sprinkle with a good pinch of pepper.
Put the cooked pasta into a pan filled with sauce. Mix all ingredients well and serve immediately. If the sauce seems too thick or you prefer it thinner, add some milk.
Once prepared, you can serve plain Mac and Cheese, without any toppings. I sometimes suggest making macaroni and cheese in different ways, such as with chives, bacon bits fried separately, or breadcrumbs fried in butter (similar to cauliflower with breadcrumbs).
You can safely reheat this meal the next day. Just put everything in the pan and reduce the burner power. To obtain the perfect consistency, pasta can be cooked in cheese sauce, adding a small amount of milk.
If you are serving Mac and Cheese straight from the oven, transfer the dish to an ovenproof dish and bake for ten to fifteen minutes at 180 degrees (top/bottom baking). Before baking cheesy pasta, sprinkle it completely with grated cheese (Parmesan or cheddar) or a mixture of breadcrumbs and grated cheese. This will make the Mac and Cheese crispy on the outside.
Enjoy your meal.
