Homemade Mac n’ Cheese for Two

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Sometimes you just want comfort food. And for me, that’s macaroni and cheese. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t always have a box or two of the Kraft stuff in my pantry (in case of emergencies), but this time I wanted to try my hand at the real thing, and I gotta say, it was much less work than I anticipated. It only took a couple pans and came together in less than an hour.

The perfect amount of cheese and crunch, it hit the spot I was hoping it would!

Cooking Level

Foundational | BEGINNER | Intermediate | Advanced

Yield: 2 servings

Author: Karyn Shalda, Cooking to the Point

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Homemade Mac and Cheese for Two

There's nothing as comforting as ooey gooey, salty, savory macaroni and cheese, especially when finished with a crunchy, buttery panko topping.

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 40 Min

Ingredients

• 1 C dry macaroni (~ 8oz. if using a different type of pasta)
• 2 T salted butter
• 2 T all-purpose flour
• 1 C milk
• 1  1/4 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1/8 t cayenne (optional)
• 1/8 t nutmeg (optional)

Panko Topping (optional)

• 1/4 C panko bread crumbs
• 2 T butter

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook macaroni (or other pasta) according to directions; drain and return to the pot, off the heat.
2. Meanwhile, melt 2 T salted butter in a frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat. If using unsalted butter, add about 1/8 teaspoon salt to the skillet. 
3. Once melted, sprinkle in 2 T all-purpose flour and whisk to mix, continuing to whisk until the flour is cooked, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. This is called a white roux.
4. Turn the heat down to medium-low and slowly add the 1 C milk a little at a time, whisking constantly so the butter/flour mixture is incorporated smoothly and does not clump up. Bring the heat back up to medium-high and whisk for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Our roux is now a béchamel sauce!
5. Add the 1 1/4 C shredded cheddar cheese until melted.
6. To the cheese mixture, add the 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper, as well as the 1/8 t cayenne and 1/8 t nutmeg if using. Whisk to mix well. 
7. Remove the cheese mixture from the heat and mix with the cooked pasta. 

If using the topping

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahreheit.
2. Grease a 16 oz ramekin, onion soup bowl, or an oven-safe dish of about the same capacity. Fill with the mac n' cheese.
3. If desired, melt 2 T butter and mix with about 1/4 C of panko bread crumbs. Spread evenly over the top of the mac n' cheese, then bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the top is browned.
4. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes:

This recipe is easily doubled or quadrupled; just make sure to use a larger pan when making the sauce!

Created using The Recipes Generator

If some of that fancy French terminology like roux sounds familiar, it’s because we used some of the same techniques in my Chicken Noodle Casserole.