Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• Elbow macaroni200 g
• Butter2 tbsp
• Flour2 tbsp
• Milk · room temperature400 ml
• Cheddar cheese · grated150 g
• Salt · for pasta water + seasoning1 tsp
• Black pepper1 to taste
• Mustard powder · optional, for depth0.5 tsp
• Paprika · optional1 pinch

Steps

1. Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water 1 minute short of the package time, then drain.

   ⏲ 8 min

2. In the same pot, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook over low heat 1–2 minutes to make a roux (don't let it color).

   ⏲ 2 min

3. Whisk in the milk a little at a time until smooth, then simmer 3–4 minutes until it thickens.

   ⏲ 4 min

4. Lower the heat and stir in the grated cheese in two or three additions until smooth. Season with mustard, salt, and pepper.

   ⏲ 2 min

5. Add the drained macaroni and toss so the sauce coats every piece. Loosen with a splash of milk if needed.

   ⏲ 1 min

6. Serve warm, dusted with paprika or parsley.

Tips & Variations

The basics behind this dish

• Browning and the Maillard ReactionMeat fails to brown for one of three reasons: it is wet, the pan is cool, or you put too much in at once. Plus how the brown film stuck to the pan becomes your sauce.
• Cooking Meat: Temperature, Resting, and Cutting Against the GrainDoneness is a core temperature, not a number of minutes. What resting actually does, how to handle a thick cut, and why the direction you slice changes the texture.
• Knife Skills: Grip, Cuts, and Why Size MattersHow you hold the knife matters more than how fast you cut. The pinch grip, the claw hand, and why uniform size is a cooking decision rather than a cosmetic one.