Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food, especially now that the weather has finally turned cool. As kids, my sisters and I loved the Kraft blue box neon-orange stuff, particularly the spiral noodles, which we stubbornly claimed tasted better than the other varieties. It’s simplicity enticed us—just add milk and butter!—but, there comes a time when one needs to grow up and prepare a macaroni and cheese from scratch.

This version is surprisingly easy, intuitive, and adaptable. I can now prepare the sauce in the amount of time it takes for the water to boil and cook the pasta (this recipe is a staple for when I return home from the bars at 2am). This dish is best served immediately after the noodles are drained, when the hot noodles keep the cheese melted in that perfect liquid-amber state.                                              

Michael’s Southwest Mac and Cheese

20 minutes preparation time. Serves 4.

1 pound pasta (macaroni, rotini, farfalle, penne, or rigatoni)

Cheese Sauce

¼ cup unsalted butter, half a stick

¼ cup flour

2 cups cold milk

¼ pound cheddar cheese, shredded, about 1 cup

¼ pound pepper jack cheese, shredded, about 1 cup

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Toppings

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup cilantro, stemmed and chopped

Prepare all the ingredients ahead of time (I like to practice mise en place):

            -measure the milk

            -shred the cheese

            -combine the garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and olive oil into a small bowl.

Bring 8-10 cups of water to a boil in a large stockpot. Once the water reaches a boil, add the pasta.

Meanwhile, prepare the roux, the thickening agent for homemade cream sauces. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter until it begins to get light and frothy, 2-3 minutes. 

Gradually sprinkle in the flour with one hand while stirring constantly with the other. I HIGHLY recommend a coiled wire whisk, which seems to work well on flat-bottom pans and breaks up any clumps of flour. Stir constantly to keep the butter and flour mixture smooth and consistent.

Within 2 minutes, you should see the roux shift from a pale yellow color to an amber and that it smells almost like caramel. Be careful not to let it get too brown and burn. Turn down the heat to low.

At this point, pour the milk in a steady stream into the saucepan, whisking constantly. The mixture will bubble and froth angrily but will soon quiet and thicken. Fold in the cheeses, spices, and oil and stir until the sauce is uniform in appearance. Taste and adjust the spices accordingly.

Once the pasta is al dente, drain and return to the large stockpot. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and mix gently. Portion out the macaroni and cheese into individual bowls and top with equal amounts of red pepper and cilantro. Grind a little bit of extra black pepper over each bowl and serve while everything is still steaming hot.