As a person who loves homemade food and isn’t much for packaged foods, I know this might sound crazy but… I have a fondness for boxed mac n cheese. There’s just something about the creaminess that results from that cheese powder that is so compelling. I’ve tried a bunch of mac n cheese recipes, most of which involve baking, but I’ve found that mac n cheese cooked in a pot gets me closest to that boxed texture I sheepishly seek. Of course I spruce it up with good al dente pasta, toasted panko for a nice bit of crunch, and broccoli because if I mix vegetables into the food my boyfriend eats them without complaint (he loves this mac n cheese actually, so if you have kids it’ll probably work for them too haha).
Guessipe
- 1 lb macaroni (here I used salad macaroni, but really you can use any pasta you like)
- 6 TBSP butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 4 cups milk
- 30 oz cheese, shredded (I’ve used a random mix of whatever melty cheeses I have including cheddar, Velveeta, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and manchego – it’s always been delicious)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup panko
- 1 head broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
Place your broccoli into a metal colander. Lower it into boiling salted water. Give it a stir, then lift it out, and set aside.
In that same pot of water, cook your pasta until just before al dente. Rinse in cold water, drain, and set aside.
Melt the butter in a heavy pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Continue whisking and cook for 2 minutes.
Slowly add the milk while whisking. Continue to whisk and cook the sauce until it thickens (about 10 min).
Remove from heat and stir in the salt, chili powder, garlic powder, and cheeses until the cheese is melted and creamy. Here I used half cubed Velveeta and half cheddar, but seriously you can use any combination of melty cheeses that you like in varying proportions. Feel free to experiment!
Toast the panko in a non-stick pan over medium heat until golden brown.
Mix in the pasta and broccoli, top with toasted panko, and serve.
