Stovetop Mac and Cheese with Buttered Breadcrumbs
Creamy, mustard-spiked cheddar sauce made in one pot, spooned over elbow macaroni and finished with crisp toasted breadcrumbs. Ready in 35 minutes.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 6
Grate the cheese yourself: pre-shredded cheese is coated with starch that keeps it from melting smoothly. Adding it off the heat also keeps the sauce silky instead of grainy. The mustard and cayenne are barely noticeable, but they sharpen the cheese flavor. Leftovers reheat well with a splash of milk.
Method
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Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni short of the package time, until just shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.
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In the same pot, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for until pale and bubbling.
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Slowly pour in the warm milk, whisking the whole time to avoid lumps. Simmer, stirring often, for , until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
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Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, 3/4 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Add the cheeses a handful at a time, stirring until each addition melts before adding the next.
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Fold the macaroni into the sauce and set over low heat for , stirring, until hot and creamy. Add a splash of milk if it looks tight.
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While the sauce simmers, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the panko and a pinch of salt and toast, stirring, for until golden. Stir in the parsley.
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Spoon the macaroni into bowls and scatter the breadcrumbs over the top. Serve immediately.
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