Feature

How to upgrade your mac and cheese

You can do better than microwaved pasta and glowing orange powder

In this week's installment of Unsavory Confessions of a Food Writer: Sometimes, late on a Sunday night, I will indulge in boxed macaroni and cheese for dinner. And yes, I'm inevitably struck with regret, usually during the precise moment when I'm wearily tearing that packet of fluorescent orange faux cheese powder open.

I'm not turning my nose up at the boxed stuff — I'll forever carry a torch for childhood staples and drunk dorm food — but a few bites in, I remember that with just a half hour's worth more effort, I could be eating something infinitely more satisfying.

Here's how to upgrade your macaroni and cheese:

1. Crack open a beer and put on Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours." Laugh at your own "Fleetwood Mac and Cheese" joke for a few minutes. Then, really, truly listen to the lyrics of "Dreams." Get a little misty-eyed and down the rest of your beer.

2. Boil your water and cook your pasta — it's best to stick to small shapes like elbows, bowties, or shells.

3. Melt butter in a saucepan, then stir in flour and keep stirring the mixture until it browns slightly. Take your pan off the heat and add milk while continually whisking the two for a few minutes. Return your pan to the heat, then stir until all the contents start to thicken.

4. Now, take your pan off the heat again and add cheese. You're going to want to start with a base of a slightly harder, grating cheese — think cheddar or smoked Gouda. Once your pasta and cheese are combined, you can certainly add softer cheeses such as brie or goat cheese for a different flavor profile.

5. Add your drained pasta to the completed cheese sauce and stir thoroughly.

6. At this point, you can eat as-is, bake, or add additional vegetables or proteins.

Here are some recipes to get you started:

Classic Mac and Cheese
Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese
Baking Sheet Macaroni and Cheese
Sriracha Mac and Cheese
Kale Mac and Cheese
Roasted Red Pepper Mac and Cheese


More from Food52...

This article originally appeared on Food52.com: Macaroni and cheese from scratch

Recommended

6 worthwhile homes in Iowa
House.
Feature

6 worthwhile homes in Iowa

Actually, it is nice to be rich
Piggy bank with pennies falling on top.
Feature

Actually, it is nice to be rich

The Check-In: The world's best airport, an Autio adventure, and more
The waterfall at Singapore's Changi Airport.
Feature

The Check-In: The world's best airport, an Autio adventure, and more

The Week contest: Clothesline drone
Drone carrying package.
Feature

The Week contest: Clothesline drone

Most Popular

Russia's spring Ukraine offensive may be winding down amid heavy losses
Ukrainian tank fires near Bakhmut
Attrition

Russia's spring Ukraine offensive may be winding down amid heavy losses

Adam Gopnik recommends 6 classic books for literature fans
Adam Gopnik.
Feature

Adam Gopnik recommends 6 classic books for literature fans

Nearly 200 banks at risk of SVB-type collapse, study finds
Bank ATM.
not fun to hear

Nearly 200 banks at risk of SVB-type collapse, study finds