New Orleans Baked Macaroni and Cheese is the most comforting of comfort food. Try this recipe, patterned after Rocky and Carlo's famous mac and cheese.
Estimated Time 1 hourhour15 minutesminutes
Servings 12Servings
Here's What You Need
1poundlong macaroni - See Notes
2cupswhole milk
4tablespoonsbutter
3tablespoonsA/P flour
32ouncessharp cheddar cheese - Grated-See Notes
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
4tablespoonssoftened butter for pan - For pan and topping-See Notes
Here's What You Do
Cook noodles according to the package directions, while you make the cheese sauce.
Prepare a baking pan by coating the inside with softened butter.
To make the cheese sauce
Warm the milk in the microwave.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the A/P flour and whisk constantly until it forms a white roux, about 3 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and slowly whisk in the warmed milk. Starting with about ¼ cup of milk at a time, thoroughly whisk it to a thick cream sauce before adding another ¼ cup of milk.
Repeat this process until about half the milk has been whisked into the roux, then add the remaining milk.
Whisk thoroughly and return the saucepan to a medium heat. Bring this to a simmer and whisk constantly until the sauce thickens and can coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes.
Add kosher salt and pepper to taste, then add about ⅓ of the grated cheddar cheese.
Blend this together completely and set aside until the pasta is cooked.
Once the noodles are cooked, reserve about ¼ cup of the pasta water, drain the noodles and return them to the pot.
Add the cheese sauce and the reserved pasta water to the noodles and mix well.
Add one (of 3) layers of noodles to the pan and smooth out.
Add a thick layer of grated cheese evenly over the noodles.
Repeat 2 more layers. See Notes
Place tabs of butter on top of finished pan
To Bake
Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F, remove the aluminum foil and finish baking for 5 to 10 minutes until golden brown on top.
Remove the baking pan from the oven and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
Notes
You can use sharp cheddar cheese already grated, but pre-grated cheese has the tendency to be a little dryer than freshly grated but works just the same. One thing about pre-grated cheese...it certainly saves time!
Use a long macaroni noodle. This will be a little thicker than thick spaghetti and have a hole running down the middle which apparently helps the thick pasta cook consistently all the way through. Luxury Brand offers a long macaroni, which is what I use (I have no affiliation with Luxury) but if that’s not available where you live,perciatelli andbucatini are available through Amazon (which I do have an affiliation with!).
Leftover macaroni and cheese can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 or 4 days. Don’t leave it out on the counter too long before refrigeration, about 2 hours after cooking is the max, and make sure to cover it airtight with plastic wrap or an airtight lid.
Leftover macaroni and cheese can be kept in the freezer for up to 60 days for best quality. Make sure to store it in an airtight container or freezer bag. It’s a good idea to separate the leftovers into portion sizes so that you can defrost only what you plan to eat.
Before reheating, defrost the mac and cheese in the refrigerator overnight or you could use your defrost setting on the microwave. Macaroni and cheese can be reheated in a microwave. Place the portion you plan to eat in a microwavable bowl and add a little milk (or water) and mix it together. Cover and microwave it slowly, stopping to stir after a short while until heated through. The time it will take will depend upon your microwave, but don’t get in a rush. The cheese and butter have a tendency to separate, which is why you are adding milk and stirring it up.