How To Make The Perfect Mac and Cheese: The Only Recipe You Will Ever Need | Rachael Ray Show

cheddar cheese

🥗Healthier: reduced-fat cheese

💰Cheaper: processed cheese

Lower calorie option or more budget-friendly.

elbow macaroni

🥗Healthier: whole grain pasta

💰Cheaper: any pasta shape

More nutritious or versatile.

Combine equal parts flour and butter in a pot to make a roux.

Cook the roux until it reaches a wet sand consistency, described as a dirty blonde color.

Add milk to the roux to create a béchamel sauce and cook for about 20 minutes.

Add nutmeg to the béchamel sauce for flavor.

Cook pasta according to the box instructions, but undercook it by about 2 minutes for al dente texture.

After draining the pasta, cold shock it in cold water and drain again to stop the cooking process.

Taste the pasta to ensure it has a bite to it before adding it to the cheese sauce.

Remove the cheese sauce from the heat and add more shredded cheddar cheese to it, allowing it to melt slightly as it cools.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens