by: Kate McMillan
Cook Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Total Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Yield
4 servings
summary
A homemade mac and cheese is truly so worth the small amount of effort. Warm and bubbly creamy cheese sauce with pasta is a favorite for both adults and kids. We’ve baked macaroni and cheese in our adorable caldron bakers for the perfect and spooky Halloween party treat.
ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 2¼ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
directions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly coat 4 cauldron mini bowls with non-stick cooking spray or butter. Place these on a baking sheet and set aside.
- Cook the pasta in a pot of salted water, according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Place the milk in a small pan and warm over low heat.
- In a second pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle on the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the warmed milk and bring to a low simmer, allowing the sauce to thicken, about 3 minutes. Stir in the salt, black pepper and nutmeg and turn the heat down to low. Add 2 cups of cheese, a handful at a time, stirring until completely melted. Add the pasta and stir to combine.
- Scoop the macaroni and cheese into the prepared caldrons and top each with 1 tablespoon of the remaining cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cheese is golden brown on top and warmed throughout, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly and serve.
notes
You can use any good melting cheese you want in this mac and cheese cauldrons recipe. We also love half cheddar and half Gruyere.
Be careful serving these pots as they are extremely hot from the oven.
If you don’t have the cauldrons, you can bake this in an 8x8-inch square baking dish or individual ramekins.
Fun mix-ins to try with this recipe: caramelized onions and bacon; tomatoes and green chilis or spinach and pancetta. Or try topping it with bread crumbs.
