In cooking class we made macaroni and cheese. A dish that you can whip up in no time. All you need to do is cook the macaroni noodles until they’re tender, then make a simple cheese sauce by melting butter, adding flour and gradually stirring in milk and cheese until it’s smooth and creamy. Finally, you just mix the cooked noodles with the cheese sauce, adding a layer of breadcrumbs and olive oil , and voila! You have a delicious bowl of homemade mac n cheese. It’s a comfort food favorite that’s both simple and satisfying.

Equipment

3-quart baking dish

Whisk

Large pot

Large bowl

Ingredients

1 box Barilla  Medium Shells

4 tbsps unsalted butter plus more for greasing the baking dish

4 tbsps all-purpose flour

4 cups whole milk, heated

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 slices American Cheese (8 ounces), torn into pieces

1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

3 tbsps olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 3-quart baking dish and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for 6 minutes or until slightly under al dente (cook pasta slightly under done). The pasta will continue to cook in the oven.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan until it begins to bubble but do not let it brown. Whisk in the flour to create a roux for the Bechamel sauce. Cook the flour and butter over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk in a steady stream. Whisk the warm milk until the sauce is thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and whisk in the salt and pepper to taste, American cheese and 3/4 cups of the Parmigiano Reggiano until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes.

Drain the pasta and place into a large bowl. Add the cheese sauce to the pasta and stir to combine. Transfer the pasta to the prepared pan. Sprinkle the panko breadcrumbs and reserved 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano over the top. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until the top is well browned and crusty. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Link for recipe: https://www.yum-o.org/recipe/bobby-flays-real-mac-and-cheese/