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close up shot of a bowl of macaroni and cheese
Print Recipe

Creamy Mac and Cheese

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dry macaroni noodles
  • 2 cups milk *see notes
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt (reduce to 1/4 if using salted butter)
  • 3/4 tsp ground mustard powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups packed sharp aged cheddar cheese (grated)
  • 1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese (grated)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Boil your macaroni, or preferred pasta noodle, in a large pot of salted water. Cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
  • Heat the milk in a saucepan or in the microwave until very hot, but not quite boiling. 
  • Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pot or saucepan. Add the flour and whisk continuously for 3-4 minutes. The mixture should start to turn a light brown color. 
  • Continue to whisk the mixture while slowly add the hot milk. Keep whisking, and cook for another 3-5 minutes. The sauce should start to thicken up.
  • Add the ground salt, mustard powder, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine. 
  • Reduce heat to low and add the grated cheeses. Stir until the cheese until completely melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy. Season with additional salt/pepper to taste.
  • Pour sauce over your prepared pasta. Mix well to coat the pasta. Serve hot.

Notes

  • Recipe slightly modified from Neighbor Food Blog.
  • If your cheese doesn't seem to be melting, you can add a little more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the cheese melts right down.
  • The original recipe called for whole milk. I didn't have any, so I used 2% and it still turned out nice and creamy.