How to Make Macaroni and Cheese (Mac and Cheese)
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients needed to cook macaroni and cheese / mac and cheese:
- 1 lb pasta, choose from your favorite shapes
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- ¼ tsp ground mustard
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup cooked ham, diced
- Few bacon slices
Cooking instructions for macaroni and cheese / mac and cheese:
Pour 4 quarts of water into a large stockpot and boil it over high heat.
Throw in the pasta along with 1 tbsp salt and steam the pasta for about 8 minutes or until they are cooked through yet donot turn into a mash on touch; drain and keep it aside.
Fry the bacon slices until they turn crispy golden brown and transfer to a plate, lined with paper towel; set aside.
Pour a cup of milk into a pan and warm it over moderate heat.
Add the flour into rest of the milk and whisk them together into a smooth mixture, free of lumps.
Once smoke starts coming out from the simmering milk, whisk in the above mixture and continue to cook the sauce for about 3-4 minutes until it thickens and reaches the thickness of heavy cream. Make a point to continue stirring the sauce gently all this time to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in cheese to the sauce, along with a dash of mustard and salt.
Continue to cook the cheese sauce until the cheese melts and the final result is creamy.
Turn off the heat and set aside.
Spoon the pasta into a large oven-proof bowl and toss well with half of the prepared sauce until they are coated properly.
Top it up with the cooked ham and pour the remaining cheese sauce over it and crumble the crisp bacon on top.
Put the bowl in the oven and bake, covered, for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Serve hot.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons