Mac and Cheese Recipe – Homemade Cheesy Pasta

Mac and Cheese, or cheesy pasta, is an easy and quick recipe that quickly conquered America. The heroes of Friends and Home Alone love it!

The Origins of Mac and Cheese

Historians agree that pinpointing the very first creator of mac and cheese is nearly impossible, but the earliest traces of the recipe date back to the 18th century in Northern Europe. Mac and cheese took off in the United States in 1937 when food company Kraft Foods launched its ready-to-eat mac and cheese box.
The little blue box has been a success ever since, appearing in films like Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and the TV series Friends. But here’s a better idea: skip the boxed version and discover real homemade mac and cheese. Try this classic New York recipe to bring a taste of Manhattan to your kitchen!

400 g (14 oz) pasta. Choose a shape that holds sauce well. Elbow macaroni is traditional, but shells, farfalle, or rigatoni work just as well.
180 g (6.3 oz) cheddar cheese, cut into chunks. Use 90 g (3.2 oz) of sharp cheddar for bold flavor and 90 g (3.2 oz) of mild cheddar for creaminess and richness. Cheddar quality makes all the difference. Buy it from a cheese counter if you can.
75 g (2.6 oz) mild cheddar, shredded, for topping.
500 ml (2 cups) milk.
40 g (1.4 oz) flour.
40 g (1.4 oz) butter.
Salt.
Pepper.

Cook the pasta al dente in a large pot of boiling water. This takes about 8 to 10 minutes.
While the pasta cooks, cut the cheddar into chunks.
Melt the butter gently in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
When the butter is foaming, add the flour and stir.
Gradually pour in the milk at room temperature, stirring constantly.
Let the sauce thicken over low heat, stirring often.
Add the cheddar chunks.
Keep cooking over low heat, stirring, until the cheese melts completely.
Season generously with pepper. Go easy on the salt—the cheese is already salty.
Pour the pasta into the saucepan with the sauce and toss until the pasta is well coated.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (392°F).
Transfer half the pasta mixture to an oven-safe dish.
Sprinkle half the shredded cheddar over it.
Add the remaining pasta mixture and top with the rest of the shredded cheddar.
Bake for 15 minutes at 200°C (392°F). Enjoy!

You can prepare this dish a day ahead. To keep it creamy, add a bit more milk to the sauce so it’s not too thick. Cover and refrigerate.
When you reheat it the next day, sprinkle breadcrumbs and small pieces of butter on top. Let the dish sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then bake at 200°C (392°F) for 10 minutes, followed by 5 to 10 minutes under the broiler.

Show us what you’ve made! Post photos of your mac and cheese on our Destination New York Facebook group.
Feel free to contact me if you’d like to share a recipe!