← Nouns Cooking · American

Ingredients

• 350 g elbow macaroni
• 60 g Butter
• 50 g plain flour
• 900 ml whole milk, warmed
• 1 tsp mustard powder or Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp Garlic powder (optional)
• 1 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 300 g mature cheddar, grated
• 100 g Gruyère or mozzarella, grated
• 40 g Panko breadcrumbs
• 20 g Butter, melted

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) / 400°F and butter a 2-litre baking dish.
2. Cook the macaroni in well-salted boiling water for 2 min less than the packet says, so it stays firm. Drain and set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, stir in the flour and cook for 1–2 min, until it smells biscuity. Whisk in the warm milk a ladleful at a time until smooth, then simmer for 5 min, stirring, until it thickly coats the back of a spoon.
4. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the mustard, garlic powder, salt, pepper and all but a handful of the cheese until melted and glossy.
5. Fold the macaroni into the sauce (it should look very saucy, the pasta soaks it up) and tip it into the dish. Scatter over the reserved cheese, then the panko tossed with the melted butter.
6. Bake for 20–25 min, until bubbling at the edges and golden on top. Rest for 5 min before serving.

Tips

• Grate your own cheese: pre-grated bags have anti-caking starch that makes the sauce grainy.
• Many hard cheeses are made with animal rennet; choose ones labelled vegetarian if that matters to you.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

RecipeTin Eats The Modern Proper