With “Friendsgivings” happening all over the country this coming weekend, I wanted to post my Elevated Mac N’ Cheese recipe ASAP so that you all have something spectacular to bring to the table this weekend (literally LOL).
In my experience, mac n’ cheese has been somewhat of a written-off side dish in the sense that it’s typically designated to the least culinary-inclined of the group (we all know this is true — “how could they possibly mess up mac n’ cheese?”). NOT THIS YEAR, BABY.
This year, YOU will want to volunteer to make the mac n’ cheese because you are going to blow 👏🏼 everyone’s 👏🏼 mind. Move over turkey; here comes my ELEVATED MAC N’ CHEESE.
What do you mean by “Elevated” Mac n’ Cheese?
I call this recipe elevated Mac N’ Cheese because we start with boxed Mac n’ Cheese and take it up a notch. Why? Because everyone and their mother loves mac n’ cheese from the box, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make it just a little bit better. The flavors of this American classic are already delicious to begin with; the tips I will give you will simply amplify the recipe to make it thicker, richer, and even better than before.
AND HOW do you elevate mac n’ cheese you ask?
As most of you probably know, typically, when you make boxed mac n’ cheese, you begin by cooking and straining the noodles. Afterwards, you return the noodles back to the original pot, then simply add the butter, powdered cheese packet, and a splash of milk. Very classic, very basic.
In order take this dish to the next level, we are going to take those exact ingredients and utilize them in a different way. we will also be adding two additional ingredients (shredded *non-powdered* cheese and fresh cracked pepper) and the result is delightful.
Two Techniques to Note
The first thing you will want to do is to make a “Roux”. (Clearly I have watched too many episodes of Chopped…)
A “roux”, for those of you who do not watch Chopped, is when flour and fat are cooked together as a precursor to a thickened sauce. To create a (somewhat makeshift) roux, you will melt the butter in the sauce pan, add the provided powdered cheese, and stir with a spatula until the mixture forms a golden paste.
Next, while whisking constantly, add the milk and bring the pot to a boil. You will start to see thick bubbles form at which point you can turn down the heat (be sure to check out my video to see exactly what this should look like!). Lastly, bring in the big guns by adding real (non-powder lol) shredded cheese.
After your sauce is cheesy AF, you can add your noodles back in, crack some pepper, and you are in business.
Feel free to get creative!
I am a fan of the classic Mac N’ Cheese flavors – for me, these can’t be beat! If you want to get creative, feel free to add fancier cheeses, like gorgonzola, gouda, or pepper jack. If you’re really feeling daring sprinkle some bacon, bread crumbs, or Fritos on top!
Check out THIS POST for some other topping ideas!
Elevated Mac N’ Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 box Annie’s Mac n Cheese
- 2/3 cup of milk I use 1% milk – but any milk should work
- ¼ cup of butter
- 1/3 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
COOK PASTA
- Boil 6 cups of water in a medium saucepan.
- Stir in pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Drain pasta in colander and set aside.
MAKE SAUCE
- Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the packet of powdered cheese that came with the box. Stir until the mixture becomes a golden paste.
- Add the milk and bring the pot to a boil, while whisking constantly. Once thick bubbles start to form, you can reduce the heat to low.
- Add cheddar cheese and mozzarella and stir. The cheese sauce should have dramatically thickened. If it has not, add more cheese (Again, the video is extremely helpful if you need a visual).
- Add the noodles and a couple turns of fresh cracked pepper on top and serve!
Video
Notes
Looking for a Thanksgiving dessert idea? Check out these recipes!
Gooey Butter Cake | Pumpkin Sheet Cake
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