NO…not the boxed one most of us grew up with but a down home, comforting casserole of elbow macaroni tossed in a cheese sauce and baked until just golden and crisp on top.
I’ve always loved macaroni and cheese and today I am going to share the my recipe, which also borrows some inspiration from the legendary Horn & Hardart recipe which many Americans tasted at the famous Automats in/around New York City for almost a century.
Most good macaroni & cheeses begin with a roux (butter and flour), warm milk and grated cheese are added into the mix. This cheezy mixture then gets tossed in parboiled pasta and then baked until just golden on top. That’s the basic version.
Now here’s my version: grated onions are added into the mix, grated aged cheddar cheese, Pepper Jack (or other stretchy cheese), Feta and some grated nutmeg. 
THE Macaroni & Cheese
(serves 4-6)
2 1/2 cups elbow macaroni
2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour + 1/2 Tbsp. corn starch
1 small onion, grated/minced (about 1/4 cup)
2 cups warm milk
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
1 cup grated aged cheddar cheese
3/4 cup Pepper Jack cheese (or Gruyere or Fruliano)
1/4 cup crumbled Feta
breadcrumbs for topping
Pre-heated 500F oven
- Place a large pot of water on your stove-top and bring to a boil. Season the water with salt and boil the pasta for 6 minutes. Strain and empty into a deep baking dish/casserole and toss with some butter until well-coated. Reserve.
- Place a medium sized pot on your stove-top and over medium heat add the butter and grated/minced onion and stir occasionally as it sweats for five minutes. Now add the flour, corn starch and stir for a two minutes.
- Now slowly whisk in the warm milk…in 1/2 cup increments…adding milk after each previous 1/2 cup has thickened the sauce. Add a pinch of salt, some ground pepper and grated nutmeg.
- Now add your grated cheese in batches and stir in…adding another batch only when the previous has melted into the sauce. Take off the heat and pour into the baking dish with the cooked macaroni and stir well.
- Top with bread crumbs and bake on the middle rack for approx. 10 minutes or until top is golden. Remove from the oven, allow to cool 15 minutes before serving.
*Go ahead, add some diced ham, cooked sausage or crisp bacon in the mix before baking.
8 Responses
Looks dang good! Onions look like ham chunks :-) What a fake out – I had to reread your ingredients.
Looks so gooood. An easy to make so I can’t wait to make it at home Thankyou.
It looks incredibly scrumptious! That luscious cheese sauce is just amazing…
Cheers,
Rosa
With the addition of the tomato sauce this version may just sway me from my own favourite.
Did you add ham to it? With or without, it looks wonderful.
WOW! I will have to exercise extreme self control when indulging in this dish! I cannot wait to make it. My favorite part is the bonus of crumb topping nicely toasted and the cheesy creamy macaroni. The tomato puree has me curious. I cannot wait to make it!!!!!!! No.. I cannot wait to eat it!!
Owwww… I love your recipes! My boyfriend& I have many favourites on this website. Had some trouble with this however. Maybe we have a different idea of “small” onion. I used the smallest in my pantry, removed some layers& grated. The sauce tasted so very pungent of the onion! Is there an ideal volume? 1/4 cup onion? 1/8? Or maybe a different type. I used yellow onion as usual. Ahh I almost know how wonderful this would taste if I didn’t destroy it!
Dani, sorry this one didn’t work out for you. I would say 1/4-1/3 of grated onion – which isn’t too much when you consider the amount of macaroni and cheese here. The onion has to cook so that rawness isn’t there or maybe the onion just doesn’t appeal to you. Add less or none next time. Thanks for your feedback.