I have been searching for a really long time for the perfect macaroni and cheese recipe. I'm talking years here, and either the texture was wrong, it wasn't cheesy enough, it was too stringy, it was bland, something was always wrong.
I've tried flour thickened sauce, cornstarch, cream soups, cream cheese, baked, you name it, I've tried it. Ask Husband Man, he's had to live through them all.
In between looking everywhere for new ideas I have been trying some things on my own. And I have finally settled on something I consider the perfect macaroni and cheese, with a few weird things I am particular about. First off, use a good quality block of sharp cheddar cheese and secondly shred it yourself. Thirdly, this is not low fat, don't try and fix that or it wont be the same. I'm not a big mustard fan myself, so rest assured, this isn't a mustardy sauce, but it's not the same without it.
Now that I have the basics down I can't wait to start playing with other cheese and flavors.
1 1/2 lb elbow or corkscrew pasta
3 c. half-an-half
2 eggs
16 oz. good quality extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 stick butter
1/4 tsp. yellow mustard
1/8 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Generous dash freshly grated nutmeg
Same with freshly grated black pepper
dash Tabasco sauce
3 Tbsp. flour
Cook the pasta in lightly salted water until desired tenderness, drain and set aside.
Heat the half-an-half until small bubbles form. Slowly whisk the hot half-an-half into the eggs in a separate bowl. Add the egg and half-an-half mixture back to the pot on the stove and cook, over medium low heat, stirring constantly, for about 20 minutes until thick and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the butter
Pour into the vitamix along with the cheese. Run on high for 4 - 5 minutes until the cheese is mixed in. Add the mustard, Worcestershire, nutmeg, pepper, and Tabasco and blend until mixed.
Combine the flour and enough water to form a pourable paste. Pour into the cheese sauce and blend on high until the sauce thickens a bit, about 10 - 15 minutes. Pour over pasta and let stand for 10 minutes and then enjoy!
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