Legendary Mac n Cheese

This is the recipe that I’ve held secret for the last 10 years, and now, it’s all yours!

There are a few things that make this recipe a little non-traditional as far as Mac N Cheese goes, primarily the fact that it doesn’t start with a bechamel sauce. I never liked the texture that the bechamel added, I want my Mac N Cheese to be smooth and creamy. So, I reduce heavy cream to a nice thick consistency before adding my special blend of cheeses to get just the right level of luscious mouth feel and unctuous flavor.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I’ve enjoyed making it for many of you over the years!

Legendary Mac N Cheese

I've held this recipe pretty close to the chest for the last decade, now I'm giving away all my secrets!

½ gallon heavy cream
2 lbs elbow macaroni (cooked)
1 lb Irish Cheddar (grated)
6 oz. fontina cheese (grated)
4 oz. smoked provolone cheese (freshly grated)
2 oz. parmigiano reggiano cheese (grated)
4 Tablespoons butter (divided)
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated, see note)
2 teaspoons sriracha (see note)

Using 2 Tablespoons of the butter, generously grease a large casserole or baking dish.
Brown 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Stir in the breadcrumbs until well coated. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, bring the cream to a vigorous simmer and reduce by half. Add the cheeses slowly and one at a time, stirring after each addition until the sauce is smooth and the cheese is completely incorporated. Add nutmeg and sriracha. Taste and add salt if necessary. Remove from heat and gently fold in the macaroni.
Add the macaroni mixture to the casserole. It should be fairly soupy, with plenty of excess liquid. Top with buttered breadcrumbs. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.

NOTE: Although I’ve shared versions of this recipe over the years, I’ve never shared my particular blend of cheeses, or the two secret ingredients – freshly grated nutmeg and sriracha. It’s important that the nutmeg be freshly grated, ground nutmeg isn’t the same. Take the time to get some fresh, whole nutmeg and a microplane before making this recipe, it makes a big difference. With respect to the sriracha, I only add enough so that the faintest hint of heat is noticeable. If you can feel that it’s spicy, you went too far. The idea is to get the flavor to linger on your taste buds just a little longer, much like your mouth will be on fire for a long while after eating a whole, fresh habanero, but under more controlled circumstances.

Main Course, Side Dish

American

Mac n Cheese