An ultra-creamy American macaroni bake with a melted cheddar sauce and a golden, crispy crust. Rich, comforting, and true to the homestyle classic served piping hot straight from the oven.
Ingredients
- 300 g elbow macaroni
- 2 l water
- to taste coarse salt
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 35 g T45 all-purpose flour
- 600 ml whole milk
- 260 g grated sharp cheddar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- to taste ground black pepper
- 45 g fine breadcrumbs
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C and butter a baking dish; it should be ready before the sauce cools.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni and cook until still firm to the bite, then drain without rinsing.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat; when it foams gently, add the flour and whisk until you get a blond paste that smells of warm biscuits.
- Gradually pour in the milk while whisking constantly, then let it simmer and thicken until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Off the heat, stir in the mustard, paprika, pepper, and most of the cheddar; mix until the sauce is smooth, glossy, and nicely melted.
- Add the drained macaroni to the sauce and stir to coat completely; the mixture should look very creamy, as it will firm up in the oven.
- Transfer to the baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining cheddar and breadcrumbs, then drizzle with a little remaining melted butter if the top looks dry.
- Bake until the edges are bubbling and the crust is golden and crispy, then let rest briefly so the sauce sets slightly without losing its creaminess.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 534.1 kcal
- Protein
- 21.53 g
- Carbohydrate
- 51.2 g
- Fat
- 27.36 g
- Fibre
- 2.56 g
- Calcium
- 408.79 mg
- Iron
- 0.69 mg
- Magnesium
- 30.46 mg
