This one looks a bit darker than a classic roux might because of the smoked paprika. Then, milk is added to the roux to make the béchamel (or white) sauce.Ĭook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon in a figure-8 motion, for three minutes. For macaroni and cheese, you make a fairly light roux by cooking it for about three minutes. Feel free to add if you prefer! Make it your own!Ī roux is simply a mixture of fat (butter here) and flour, usually in equal measures, which is cooked together in order to remove the raw, floury flavor. Some people like to top their baked mac and cheese with breadcrumbs, but for this recipe, I love how it forms a brown and bubbling top in the oven without bread crumbs. And theeennnnn … remove from heat and add the cheese. The flour thickens the milk into a glorious béchamel sauce – a classic French sauce made from butter, flour, and milk.

Cheese sauce: You make your cheese sauce by first making a roux – cooking flour, seasonings, and butter together.

Elbow macaroni is a the classic choice, of course, but shells, penne, or rotini are delicious too. If you’ve ever wondered how to make homemade mac and cheese, here you go! (Buuuut it’s also plenty perfect without.) Macaroni and cheese ingredients Thank you eternally, Bev!īeing a mixed carnivore-and-veggie household, sometimes I like to serve this baked mac and cheese with some crumbled bacon that the carnivores can drop over the top. I can also say it’s the best macaroni and cheese recipe ever because this one is tweaked from someone else’s recipe – I grabbed the recipe from someone named Bev, who shared her recipe on.

Rather, it’s because whenever I take a glorious melty bite, I simply cannot imagine a better classic mac and cheese. I say it’s the best macaroni and cheese recipe ever not because I have tried every single mac and cheese recipe in the world (though I have tried many) (and wouldn’t it be an incredibly noble cause to try every single one?!) It’s rich, ooey and gooey, with a brown and bubbling top and gloriously creamy interior.Īnd, yeah – in my humble opinion, it’s the best baked mac and cheese recipe EVER. Seriously. This recipe for the Best Baked Mac & Cheese Ever is super creamy – not dry like some homemade mac and cheese can get.

Macaroni and cheese roux