acaroni and cheese
holds a special place
in my heart. I grew up
on my mom’s recipe, which she
made only on special occasions;
in between she made the pinch
hitter from the blue box. As an
adult, I developed a recipe for
Spicy Mac and Cheese that I
credit with making my former
catering company successful.
That catering company led me
to Food Network—so my love
affair with mac and cheese is
real! During a 2016 episode of
The Kitchen, my cohosts, two
guests and I attempted to make
the ultimate Thanksgiving
macaroni and cheese, a group
effort in which each person
secretly added an ingredient.
The result was a stovetopversion with a creamy cheddar
and gruyère béchamel. Our
pasta was cavatappi (my
addition) and we added
brussels sprouts, squash and a
toasted breadcrumb topping.
It wasn’t bad, but viewers
thought there were too many
cooks in the kitchen. People
started debating what the
perfect macaroni and cheese
should be, so I thought it would
be fun to post a Twitter poll
inviting passionate mac and
cheese eaters to share their
preferences for the “grater”
good. Here’s what you came
up with. Whether or not to top
it was a tie, so the test kitchen
made it both ways—you can
pick a side!
—SunnySUNNY’S CROWD-SOURCED MAC AND CHEESE
ACTIVE: 40 min l TOTAL: 1 hr l SERVES: 87 tablespoons unsalted butter,
plus more for the baking dish
Kosher salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
1½ teaspoons mustard powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated
nutmeg
2 cups grated monterey jack
cheese (about 8 ounces)
2 cups grated gouda cheese
(about 8 ounces)
1½ cups grated mild cheddar
cheese (about 6 ounces)
½ cup crushed butter crackers
(such as Ritz)
½ cup crushed potato chips- Preheat the oven to 400 ̊. Butter
a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a
large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the pasta and cook as the
label directs for al dente. Drain,
reserving 1 cup cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, melt 6 tablespoons
butter in a large pot over medium
heat. Whisk in the flour and
cook, whisking, until smooth and
lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
Gradually whisk in the milk until
smooth, then add the mustard
powder, cayenne, nutmeg and
1 teaspoon salt. Cook, whisking
occasionally, until the sauce
simmers and thickens slightly,
7 to 8 minutes.
3.Whisk the cheeses into the
sauce one at a time, letting the
cheese melt before adding more.
Stir in the pasta to coat, adding the
reserved cooking water as needed
to loosen. (It’s OK if the sauce is
loose—it will thicken as it bakes.)
4.Transfer the mac and cheese
to the baking dish. Melt the
remaining 1 tablespoon butter, then
mix with the crushed crackers and
chips. Sprinkle over half of the mac
and cheese. Bake until the top is
browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
NOVEMBER 2020 ●FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE 63
PHOTO: RALPH SMITH; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE; PROP STYLING: PAIGE HICKS.
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