Baked Macaroni & Cheese

[Chef Maloney]

I've never been a big fan of macaroni & cheese but when I found this gourmet french version 25 years ago I changed my mind. So easy.
This can be made ahead of time, refrigerated, and baked later.


BAKED MACARONI & CHEESE

1/2 Lb. Macaroni, cooked & drained (like elbow)

3 Tblsp. Butter
1 Tblsp. Flour
2 cups Milk
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg

1 cup Gruyere Cheese, grated
2 Tblsp. Butter

Cook the Macaroni according to package directions. Drain. Toss in a little Butter & Stir to keep it from sticking together.
Set Aside.

Melt the Butter in a pot, Whisk in the Flour, Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes to remove the flour taste.
Pour in the Milk. Whisking, until it comes to a boiL. The Sauce will be fairly thin. Add the Salt, Pepper & Nutmeg.
Turn Off the Heat.
Stir-In 2/3 of the Gruyere. Stir until Cheese is Melted.
Stir in the cooked Macaroni.
Pour Into a Buttered Baking Dish.
Top w/remaining Gruyere. Dot w/Butter

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, 425 degrees, until top is Browned.

 

[no mayonnaise]

Sounds great, love gruyere! Very similar to mine but I go with more roux for a thicker mornay and I top breadcrumbs mixed with a little Emeril's Essence (not a fan of the guy but it's a great spice mix though) and some grated cheese to make an au gratin.

 

[Kylie1969]

This does sound lovely, will try this one

 

[Kayelle]

Hey with Gruyere Cheese it has to be wonderful! I used it on top of my French Onion Soup a few nights ago, and I had forgotten what a remarkable flavor it has.
Copied and pasted, and will try it soon. Thanks CM!

 

[jennyema]

The recipe is a bit confusing.

The fat flour ratio should be 1:1, as in 3T butter 3T flour.

 

[Chef Maloney]

The recipe is a bit confusing.

The fat flour ratio should be 1:1, as in 3T butter 3T flour.

No. The fat/flour ratio is correct for this recipe. If you want it thicker go for it, although baking will remove moisture and it may be too dry

 

[jennyema]

No. The fat/flour ratio is correct for this recipe. If you want it thicker go for it, although baking will remove moisture and it may be too dry

What ratio do they use?

5T of butter are listed. One T of flour.

The thickness of bechemel sauce is determined by how much liquid you use or how much roux you make but the fat/flour ratio always should be 1:1.

 

[Chef Maloney]

What ratio do they use?

5T of butter are listed. One T of flour.

The thickness of bechemel sauce is determined by how much liquid you use or how much roux you make but the fat/flour ratio always should be 1:1.

Yes. This is a thinner sauce.
Use 3 Tblsp. Flour & 1 Tblsp. Butter for making the roux for the sauce.
The other 2 Tblsp. butter listed at the bottom of the recipe are used for dotting the top of the casserole.
As stated, the sauce will be fairly fluid with this ratio but you will find after baking it comes out just right.
Sorry for the confusion jennyema, please feel free to ask more questions if you'd like.

 

[Addie]

My family likes ther mac and cheese with tomatoes. So I drain the large can of tomatoes and also the hand crushed ones. I use that liquid combined with the milk as part of the liquid for the sauce. I too make a very thin sauce. The macaroni will abosrb a lot of the liquid and any cheese will add to the thickness as well. The only difference is that I have to use a whole pound of maraconi. We have casserole size elbows. They are bigger and absorb more of the liquid.

 

[jennyema]

Yes. This is a thinner sauce.
Use 3 Tblsp. Flour & 1 Tblsp. Butter for making the roux for the sauce.
The other 2 Tblsp. butter listed at the bottom of the recipe are used for dotting the top of the casserole.
As stated, the sauce will be fairly fluid with this ratio but you will find after baking it comes out just right.
Sorry for the confusion jennyema, please feel free to ask more questions if you'd like.

The recipe calls for only one T of flour and doesn't tell you how much butter to use for the roux.

I agree that you need a thin sauce for a baked Mac and cheese recipe like this. In fact my recipe is very similar but I use a pound of pasta, two cups of cheese and 5:5 butter/flour. I just eyeball the milk. The roux/liquid ratio is what makes a sauce thick or loose, not the amount of butter or flour.

 

[Chef Maloney]

The recipe calls for only one T of flour and doesn't tell you how much butter to use for the roux.

I agree that you need a thin sauce for a baked Mac and cheese recipe like this. In fact my recipe is very similar but I use a pound of pasta, two cups of cheese and 5:5 butter/flour. I just eyeball the milk. The roux/liquid ratio is what makes a sauce thick or loose, not the amount of butter or flour.

details, details...oh ya? well, maybe you're confused because I'm confused. hahaha Now you're making me laugh. You are perfectly right.
Well use 3 Tblsp. of flour and 1 Tblsp. butter or whatever you'd like. Sounds like you've made something like this before. You can adjust the thickness of the sauce yourself eh?
That's the problem with not copying a recipe word-for-word I guess. You occasionalliy get people like me who should be spending more time in the kitchen
I'd love your recipe. Do tell. :>)

 

[Chef Maloney]

The recipe calls for only one T of flour and doesn't tell you how much butter to use for the roux.

I agree that you need a thin sauce for a baked Mac and cheese recipe like this. In fact my recipe is very similar but I use a pound of pasta, two cups of cheese and 5:5 butter/flour. I just eyeball the milk. The roux/liquid ratio is what makes a sauce thick or loose, not the amount of butter or flour.

jennyema, sorry you're so confused. It sounds like you've made something like this before so you should be able to figure it out.
Won't you please post your recipe? I'm sure we'd all love to see it

 

[Junie]

chef maloney I made you macaroni and cheese recipe and it was very good. I made it just the way in the recipe you wrote. We really like it alot and I am making it again. Maybe that person that got confused does'nt cook very much who knows. anyway thanks

 

[Chef Maloney]

You are welcome Junie glad you liked it

 

[jennyema]

chef maloney I made you macaroni and cheese recipe and it was very good. I made it just the way in the recipe you wrote. We really like it alot and I am making it again. Maybe that person that got confused does'nt cook very much who knows. anyway thanks

That's a good one. I'm not confused. I'm pointing out that both that the recipe is confusing (how much butter did you use?) and that it uses an incorrect ratio for bechemel sauce.

But glad you liked it!

 

[Junie]

That's a good one. I'm not confused. I'm pointing out that both that the recipe is confusing (how much butter did you use?) and that it uses an incorrect ratio for bechemel sauce.

But glad you liked it!

But I do see the amount of butter to use right at the top. Maybe its not a correct ratio for bechemel sauce. I don't think it is one cause I don't see the word bechemel in there anywhere. It must just be right for the recipe. We liked it that way. anyway we liked it and it came out good you should make it. good luck.

 

[Addie]

But I do see the amount of butter to use right at the top. Maybe its not a correct ratio for bechemel sauce. I don't think it is one cause I don't see the word bechemel in there anywhere. It must just be right for the recipe. We liked it that way. anyway we liked it and it came out good you should make it. good luck.

The average cook makes a true bechemel sauce for mac and cheese. Chef M has a different sauce that sounds like it should be a bechemel and yet it is not. I can understand what Jennyna was saying. She was looking for the standard bechemel. That wasn't it.

But thank you for trying it and letting us know that the amounts are correct. Even though they sound like they aren't.

 

[Junie]

I amm sorry jennyemma Addie told me and I dont want to hurt your feelings ever. I really like looking at your recipes on here and I don't want to get deleted like Addie said when she sent me the message on here. I didnt mean to critacize you ever I reallymean it. I just want to be as good of a cook as you some day and respectd like Addie says. so please don't be mad at me.I am sorry.I hope you show me some more recipes please dont stop

 

[Junie]

and thank you Addie you are nice for helping me. You are nice to Jennyemma.

 

[Dawgluver]

There are many ways to make a recipe, no one way is right. Many of us love to take a recipe and put our own spin on it. A reason why we call this forum, " Discuss Cooking" is, well, we discuss cooking! We can agree, or not, and we welcome all opinions.

Please don't apologize, Junie! So glad your mac and cheese turned out great! Don't worry what the sauce is called.