The day is finally here—I have been working on this recipe for years and it’s finally everything I want it to be 🎉 Without further ado, may I present The Ultimate Mac & Cheese.
We start with a rich roux, make a delicious cream sauce, add in 4 types of cheese, top with crushed Ritz crackers and bake in the oven for a golden brown crispy topping. It’s 👏 worth 👏 every 👏 calorie 👏
This Recipe Starts with a Roux…What the Heck is a Roux?
A Roux is a mixture of flour and fat (in this case flour and butter) that is the base for many sauces and soups. The mixture is heated until it thickens and bubbles and provides a nice deep flavor base.
What are the 3 Types of Roux?
There are 3 types of roux, White, Blonde, and Brown. White roux is the most common type of roux and is primarily used as a thickening agent (cooked ~2 – 5 minutes). Blonde roux is more of a caramel color and has a fragrant, nutty flavor (cooked ~10 minutes). Brown roux is deeply caramelized and a maple color mixture and is often made with oil and flour, rather than butter. The oil tends to result in a thinner finished product, but one that is incredibly flavorful (cooked ~30 minutes).
Now let’s get cheesin’
Seriously, look at this pile of cheese we’re going to use 🤯
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb Elbow Pasta or Tube Noodle of choice
- 8 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
- 4 cups Milk, warmed
- 2 cups Sharp Cheddar, shredded
- 1/2 cup Gruyere, shredded
- 1 cup Mozzarella, shredded
- 1 cup Parmesan, shredded
- 25 – 30 (approximately 1 sleeve) Ritz Crackers crushed into crumbs
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish or a dutch oven with cooking spray. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for approximately 8 minutes, until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside (we’re going to reuse the pot, so no need to wash).
Ok back to the pot we used for the pasta (you can also do the next steps in a dutch oven and go straight into the oven) . We’re going to make a roux (a mixture of flour and fat, in this case butter) as the base for our sauce. Melt the butter in the pot over medium low heat. Once melted, add in the flour, stirring constantly until the roux is golden and bubbling.
Gradually add in the warm milk and continue to stir, cooking it down until smooth and thickened. This will start to look like pancake batter when ready. Turn off the heat.
Add in all the cheese and stir until smooth and all the cheese is melted.
Add your cooked noodles into the cheese sauce and stir until coated.
Pour the cheesy noodles into the prepared baking dish (or if you’re in a dutch oven, stay put) and top with the cracker crumbles.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes et voila! The Ultimate Mac & Cheese will quickly become your new favorite indulgence 🙌
Follow me on Instagram and tag @500spatulas so I can see all the recipes you make. 👩🍳
The Ultimate Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb Elbow Pasta or Tube Noodle of choice
- 8 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
- 4 cups Milk warmed
- 2 cups Sharp Cheddar shredded
- 1/2 cup Gruyere shredded
- 1 cup Mozzarella shredded
- 1 cup Parmesan shredded
- 25 – 30 Ritz Crackers crushed into crumbs (approximately 1 sleeve)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the elbow pasta for approximately 8 minutes, until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside (we're going to reuse the pot, so no need to wash).
- Ok back to the pot we used for the pasta. We're going to make a roux (a mixture of flour and fat, in this case butter) as the base for our sauce. Melt the butter in the pot over medium low heat. Once melted, add in the flour, stirring constantly until the roux is golden and bubbling. Gradually add in the warm milk and continue to stir, cooking it down until smooth and thickened. This will start to look like pancake batter when ready. Turn off the heat.
- Add in all the cheese and stir until smooth and all the cheese is melted. Add your cooked noodles into the cheese sauce and stir until coated. Pour the cheesy noodles into the prepared baking dish and top with the cracker crumbles. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes and enjoy your cheesy masterpiece!
