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Plat à gratin bleu rempli de macaronis gratinés à la croûte dorée, une main soulevant une cuillère de pâtes au fromage filant, à côté d'une assiette servie et d'un bol de cheddar râpé
Team Curcuma

Mac and cheese (baked macaroni with cheddar)

Elbow macaroni coated in a cheddar and Gruyère white sauce, topped with panko and baked until it forms a golden crust.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Resting 5 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings : 6 servings
Course : Main Course
Cuisine : American
Calories : 709
Ingredients Préparation Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g elbow macaroni
  • 50 g butter for the sauce
  • 50 g plain flour
  • 750 ml whole milk
  • 250 g mature cheddar grated
  • 100 g Gruyère grated
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 40 g panko breadcrumbs
  • 20 g melted butter for the topping
  • 30 g Parmesan grated

Préparation
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F). Cook the macaroni in a large pan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes less than the packet time, then drain.
  2. In a pan, melt the butter, add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the milk gradually while whisking and let it thicken for 5 minutes over low heat.
  3. Off the heat, add the mustard, paprika, nutmeg, salt and pepper, then the cheddar and Gruyère, and stir until the sauce is smooth and stretchy.
  4. Mix the macaroni with the sauce and pour into a buttered 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12-inch) baking dish.
  5. Mix the panko, melted butter and Parmesan, and scatter over the pasta.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling at the edges. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the packet time: it finishes cooking in the sauce in the oven. Grate the cheese yourself, as bagged grated cheese contains starch that stops the sauce from being smooth. Add the cheese off the heat so it does not turn grainy.