
Most mac-’n’-cheese recipes call for milk, but some call for cream (making a really, really rich sauce) or a combination using half-and-half.
HOW MUCH MAC N CHEESE FOR 25 PEOPLE MAC
The roux does both of these things when making mac ’n’ cheese is made.Īfter making the roux, liquid is whisked in to thin the paste and create a smooth sauce. Roux is the foundation of a number of classic sauces, and it’s used for a variety of reasons, two of them being that it thickens a sauce, and it helps to keep the sauce from separating. Like so many comfort-food classics, homemade mac ’n’ cheese starts with a small combination of melted butter and flour, mixed to a paste known as a roux. And I realized very quickly how easy homemade mac ’n’ cheese can be.įirst, you make a roux. I actually started trying to make it from scratch because I was - and still am - such a boxed-mix failure. (My 7-year-old niece used to laugh at me - even she could do it.) But, even now, I still can’t seem to get it to turn out right. Looking back, I think this was probably due to youthful impatience (who has time to patiently whisk in the cheese packet?!?!). I’ve never had success with boxed mac ’n’ cheese even when I tried to make it growing up. There’s no wonder it’s a quintessential comfort food, any time of the year.īest of all? You don’t need to make it from a box.

And what’s not to love? Tender pasta tossed with no shortage of melted, ooey-gooey cheese. One of the most basic meals around, it’s also one of the most popular - indeed, it’s a staple of American cuisine - the darling of everyone from your 7-year-old niece to some of the top chefs at the finest restaurants.
