Chef John's Macaroni And Cheese
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

  2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

  3. Melt ¼ cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When butter starts to foam and bubble, stir in flour; cook on medium heat until flour begins to turn pale yellow, 3 to 4 minutes.

  4. Add thyme, cayenne, and white pepper; cook and stir another minute, then whisk in 1 cup milk until smooth. Pour in remaining milk and whisk again. Bring sauce just to a simmer.

  5. Stir in salt, Worcestershire sauce, and nutmeg. Simmer, whisking often, on medium-low heat until thickened, about 8 minutes.

  6. Turn heat off, then add 2 ¼ cups Cheddar cheese; stir until melted and combined. Mix in Dijon mustard.

  7. Transfer macaroni into a casserole dish, then pour in cheese sauce; stir to thoroughly combine pasta with sauce.

  8. Mix together panko bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon melted butter in a small bowl.

  9. Sprinkle mixture over macaroni and cheese. Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup Cheddar cheese on top.

  10. Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Course🍽️Main Course

Diets🥕Vegetarian...

Category🍝Pasta

Cuisine🇺🇸American

Occasions🍲Comfort Food📆Everyday

Season🔁Year-round

DifficultyMedium ⏰ 45m

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