By Iron Chef Leftovers

I get tons of requests for this mac and cheese recipe since it is easy to make and is phenomenally good. I can’t take a great deal of credit though; I took the base recipe from Alton Brown and made a few changes to it. I had the pleasure of talking about the changes that I made with Alton about a year ago and he liked them and suggested a few others, which I have since incorporated. If you want the original recipe, you can find it here. Otherwise you will get my revised recipe, which I dub “Totally Over the Top Mac & Cheese”.

The Software
1/2 lb of elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups whole milk
1/2 cup onion, minced (about 3/4 of a medium onion)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 large egg (lightly beaten)
6 oz Sharp Cheddar – shredded
6 oz Gruyere – shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Black pepper to taste

The Recipe
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Shred the cheddar and Gruyere and mix the two together. Separate into 2 parts, one containing 1/4 of the cheese and 1 containing 3/4 of the cheese.
• Mince the onion. Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil in a 4 qt pan.
• Add pasta and cook for about 5 minutes to al dente and drain.
• While the water is coming to a boil, melt the butter in a 3 qt pan over medium heat.
• Whisk in the flour and cook until pale blond (about 3 minutes) stirring about every minute.
• Whisk in onion, paprika and mustard until combined (probably 30 seconds)
• Slowly add the milk and cook, whisking constantly until slightly thickened, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Slowly add 2 ladles full of the milk mixture to the egg, whisking as you add it. This will temper the egg to keep it from cooking and turning into scrambled eggs. I usually do this in a measuring cup. If there are any lumps (i.e. cooked egg), start over with another egg.
• Add the egg into the pot with the remainder of the milk and stir a couple of times to combine.
• Add 3/4 of the cheese to the sauce and stir until the cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes.
• Add the pasta to the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Put pasta and sauce in a 4 qt casserole dish, cover with the remaining cheese and bake in the over for 30 minutes.
• Let stand for 5 minutes and serve with your favorite hot sauce (or not)

IMPORTANT – don’t fully cook the pasta – it will finish cooking in the oven and it will be completely mushy if you cook it fully on the stove. Also, don’t rinse the pasta after you drain it.

Notes
Timing is important on this recipe, so I highly suggest preparing all of your ingredients before you start cooking – it really makes the job much easier when you are not trying to measure something while watching something else. I also highly recommend freezing the cheese for about 10 minutes prior to shredding – it makes it much easier. The shredding can be done in a food processor or using a box grater. Don’t buy the pre-shredded cheese, it really doesn’t taste the same and shredding yourself will take you 2 or 3 minutes extra and it will be worth it. I really like Beecher’s Flagship Cheese in this recipe, but if you aren’t local to Seattle, you probably won’t be able to find it, so just use your favorite cheddar. You can use all Cheddar if you would like, the Gruyere is optional. If you want a nice crusty cheese top, use a dish that is broiler safe and put under the broiler the last 2 minutes of cooking in the oven. If you like the crispy breadcrumb topping, please consult the original recipe. The pasta and sauce can be made in advance and then put in the oven later – just put it in the casserole dish, covered in the fridge and when you are ready to cook it, remove it from the fridge, uncover and let it sit at room temp for 15 minutes while you warm the oven. The leftovers also make really good fried mac and cheese the next day. I have played with several variations of this recipe, so here are the ones that I like the most:

Bacon Mac and Cheese
Cook 3/4 lb of bacon until just before browned. Drain on paper towels and mince. Sprinkle on top of the mac and cheese before putting in the oven.

Roasted Red Pepper and Sun Dried Tomato Mac and Cheese
Add 3 oz of minced sun dried tomatoes and 3 oz of roasted red pepper to the pasta and sauce before it goes into the casserole dish. Stir well to combine and finish in the oven.

Italian Mac and Cheese
Replace the Gruyere and Cheddar with equal parts (5 oz) Italian Fontal and Taleggio. Also add 1 oz of grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano to the mix. Replace the elbow macaroni with 8 oz of penne. Follow the base recipe otherwise. You won’t use any of the cheese for a topping. Add some freshly chopped Italian parsley after cooking. Note – Taleggio and Fontina are soft cheeses, so you don’t need to shred them. Freeze them for 10 minutes and cut into 1/4-inch cubes for melting. Make sure you remove the rind also – it is edible, but not needed in this recipe. Fontal and Taleggio should be available in just about any gourmet market or cheese monger.

South of the Border Mac and Cheese
Replace the Gruyere and Cheddar with equal parts Monterrey Jack and Pepper Jack. Add some minced jalapeño before the pasta is put in the casserole. Follow base recipe otherwise.

I have always wanted to try an herb and goat cheese variation of this recipe, but haven’t gotten around to it.