Macaroni and Cheese with Breadcrumbs | Jacques Pépin Cooking At Home | KQED

cheddar cheese

🥗Healthier: reduced-fat cheese

💰Cheaper: processed cheese

Reduced-fat cheese lowers calories while processed cheese is often more affordable.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil is healthier while margarine can be a cost-effective substitute.

milk

🥗Healthier: almond milk

💰Cheaper: evaporated milk

Almond milk is lower in calories while evaporated milk can be less expensive.

Parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated Romano cheese

Nutritional yeast offers a cheesy flavor without dairy, while Romano is often less costly.

Melt 1.5 tablespoons of butter in a pot.

Add 1.5 tablespoons of flour to the melted butter and mix to form a roux.

Gradually whisk in 1.5 cups of milk and bring to a boil, seasoning with salt and pepper and adding 0.5 teaspoons of paprika.

Cook 1.5 cups of dry macaroni in boiling water until cooked, which will yield about 3 cups when cooked.

Prepare the topping by mixing 0.75 cups of panko breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place in the oven at 350°F for about 5-8 minutes until browned.

Add cheese to the white sauce and mix until melted.

Combine the cooked macaroni with the cheese sauce.

Serve the macaroni with the browned panko topping and garnish with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of chives.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens