This is a quick-and-easy, made-from scratch Mac 'n' Cheese. It's the current incarnation of a recipe I've been trying to duplicate for going on 6 years now. When we lived in Chicago, we ate lunch one afternoon at a small restaurant on North Lincoln Park West called R.J. Grunts. It is there that I had the best bowl of mac 'n' cheese ever. They served it with diced tomatoes and crumbled bacon on top. It was wonderful. According to my husband, Eric, I haven't figured it out yet—and to be honest, at this point, I think I need to taste the inspiration again if I'm going to continue the pursuit—but this version is still pretty darn tasty.
1 pound elbow macaroni or rotini noodles
1/4 cup salted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
scant 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
scant 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese*
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese*
Tomato, chopped and lightly salted (optional; for garnish)
Bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional; for garnish)
*You can replace the grated cheese with a pound of Velveeta. Just cut the Velveeta into small cubes, add it to the roux, and stir continuously until it's melted and incorporated.
PREP
Bring large pot of salted water to boil (for the macaroni noodles). Combine salt, pepper, and dry mustard in small bowl and set aside. Grate all of the cheese and mix together in medium bowl until evenly distributed. Chop tomato (wait to salt until just before serving). Cook bacon; allow to cool; crumble and let drain on paper-towel-covered plate.
COOK
Cook macaroni in boiling, salted water according to package directions while you prepare the roux.
Bring large pot of salted water to boil (for the macaroni noodles). Combine salt, pepper, and dry mustard in small bowl and set aside. Grate all of the cheese and mix together in medium bowl until evenly distributed. Chop tomato (wait to salt until just before serving). Cook bacon; allow to cool; crumble and let drain on paper-towel-covered plate.
COOK
Cook macaroni in boiling, salted water according to package directions while you prepare the roux.
In a medium frying pan, melt butter. Over medium heat, add flour and seasonings (salt, white pepper, and dry mustard) and whisk until well combined (you do not want the flour mixture to brown, so as soon as the ingredients are combined and thicken to a paste-like consistency, move on to the next step). Pour in milk and cook, whisking constantly, until thick. Add the 3 cups of the combined cheeses and stir until the cheese is melted and thoroughly combined with the roux. Remove from heat.
Drain the cooked macaroni (reserving about a half-cup of pasta water). Pour the cheese sauce over the drained noodles and stir until the noodles are well and evenly coated in cheese. Use a little of the reserved hot pasta water to loosen up the sauce, as needed.
SERVE
Spoon individual servings of macaroni and cheese into bowls. Sprinkle each with additional grated cheese, if desired. Lightly salt the chopped tomatoes and sprinkle some over each serving. Top with crumbled bacon. Serve immediately.
SERVE
Spoon individual servings of macaroni and cheese into bowls. Sprinkle each with additional grated cheese, if desired. Lightly salt the chopped tomatoes and sprinkle some over each serving. Top with crumbled bacon. Serve immediately.