Creamy Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese with crispy bacon bits

Growing up in a Vietnamese household, the only occasions I got to eat mac and cheese were at the homes of my American friends or at school. It was always a wonderful exotic treat I looked forward to. Mac & Cheese has lost that exoticism now that I'm an adult, but like a lot of other people, it still evokes fond memories of childhood. For this Vietnamese transplant, it is also a sensory evoking experience each time I make and prepare it. It has now become a tradition for me to prepare mac and cheese every Thanksgiving in my own home. Hopefully my mac and cheese will evoke the same feelings of comfort and steaming gooey cheesiness in my own family.

I went through a "Food Network phase" where I was very much into the cooking of Ina Garten, Giada, Bobby Flay, and Mario to name a few. Inspired by their recipes, I changed a few ingredients to my mac and cheese recipe (such as using chicken stock and MILD rather than sharp cheddar) to enhance its flavor, making it more moist, creamy, and smooth. Some mac and cheese dishes tend to be too dry or even sour, results from using the wrong cheese or overcooking. I have a feeling you will like this dish if you give it a try.

INGREDIENTS: (Makes 9" by 13" casserole dish and
possibly a 9" by 9" casserole dish)


Chicken stock, elbow pasta, shredded cheese, butter, cream, flour are some of the key ingredients

1 bag of elbow pasta (16 oz)
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of flour (all purpose)
3 cups of chicken stock
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1/2 whole milk
2 cups of shredded MILD yellow cheddar
2 cups of shredded MILD white cheddar
2 soft dinner rolls, hand shredded (Challah bread)
sugar, salt, pepper
olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1) Cook the pasta al dente, then drain the pasta.

2) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


The roux


Adding in the chicken stock


Adding in the cream


Adding in the cheese


Adding in the pasta

3) Béchamel:
We are making a béchamel sauce by starting with a roux,which is a combination of flour and butter. The sauce is the ideal base to melt the cheese to give it that creamy texture. Before you begin, have all your ingredients laid out and ready to use. Once you begin, the process goes pretty fast and you will not have time to measure or prep.

You will need a medium heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, deep iron skillet, or any pot that is heavy, conducts heat well and doesn't have any hot spots. You will also need a wooden spoon, which is ideal for not imparting a metallic flavor to the roux.

Turn the stove on medium high, pour in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and half of the stick of butter in the pot. When the oil is melted, add the flour in gradually, stirring constantly. When the mixture is smooth, reduce the heat to medium and keep stirring. The mixture will be pale at first, but as the flour browns, the roux will gradually turn the color of peanut butter. Cooking the flour until it browns gives it a nutty taste.

Slowly add in the chicken stock, stirring in 1 cup at a time. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes, then add in the heavy cream and milk. Keep stirring constantly so the sauce stays smooth. Add a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper (keep in mind that the chicken stock and cheese will have salt already). Then slowly stir in the cheese until they are fully incorporated and melted. Fold in the pasta, stir, and pour the mixture into the casserole pans.

4) Using your hands, shred the dinner rolls into a bowl (omit the crust). Melt the rest of the butter (10 sec in the microwave or on the stove) and mix it into the bread. This will keep the bread moist. Sprinkle the top of the mac and cheese with the bread crumbs and some of the shredded yellow and white cheese.


Bread crumbs with melted butter


Topping the mac and cheese with bread crumbs and shredded cheese



5) Bake the mac and cheese in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown. Enjoy your gooey mac and cheese!


Yummy baked goodness!