Easy Macaroni and Cheese

This is the BEST macaroni and cheese ever! And it’s almost as easy as opening that blue box and boiling some water. The payoff? An ultra-cheesy, gooey cream sauce, and elbow macaroni that never had it so good. For realz.

I think we can all agree, boxed macaroni and cheese is easy, but it’s not the culinary “hug” it could be. The cheese isn’t stretchy and there aren’t layers of flavor. I mean no disrespect, but if you have 5 extra minutes, I can make it worth your while.

First, a few rubrics:
• The Pasta: Although elbow macaroni is classic, you can choose any small shape you want. Stop cooking the pasta 1 minute early. You want al dente pasta because it cooks a little more in the sauce, and adds texture to the dish.
• The Roux: This is melted butter and flour, and ultimately what thickens the sauce (the starch in the flour expands in the milk). Whisk the combo until smooth and golden before adding milk. Cooking removes the “raw flour” taste, and the golden color adds flavor.
• The Cheese: The roux and milk combo (AKA, white sauce) absorbs a lot of flavor, so you need cheese with oomph. I prefer sharp cheddar and parmesan. But cheddar and parm aren’t stretchy, so I add mozzarella too. Now you have equal parts vivacity and cheese-pull glory. If possible, shred your own cheese. Yeah, you wish I didn’t say that, but pre-shredded cheese contains an anti-clumping substance that may prevent the cheese from melting properly.

Primer complete, let’s talk toppings. Obviously, REALLY GOOD macaroni and cheese needs no festooning, but here are some tasty ideas anyway:
• Crumbled bacon
• Crushed Ritz crackers mixed with melted butter (1 cup crackers + 2 tbsp butter)
• Chopped fresh parsley
• Chopped green onions

Easy Macaroni and Cheese

12 ounces elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving

Cook the pasta according to package directions, stopping 1 minute before the recommended cooking time. Drain and cover with foil to keep warm.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is bubbly, whisk in the flour until blended. Cook for 1 minutes, until golden, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the onion powder, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes, until the mixture thickens, stirring frequently.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.
Once the cheese has melted, fold in the pasta. Remove the pan from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with grated parmesan cheese and serve hot.
Serves 4