Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 350g elbow macaroni (or shells, whatever you have)
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 500ml whole milk
• 200g sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 80g Gruyère or mozzarella, grated
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and black pepper
• Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to the package, minus one minute. You want it slightly underdone since it finishes in the sauce. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute. It should smell nutty, not burnt.
3. Slowly pour in milk while whisking. Keep whisking until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in cheddar and Gruyère a handful at a time until fully melted and smooth. Add mustard, garlic powder, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
5. Add the drained pasta back in and stir until everything is coated.
6. Eat immediately. This doesn't sit around well. The sauce tightens as it cools.

Notes

The flour-butter-milk base is a béchamel. It's the only thing standing between you and a grainy cheese mess. Don't skip it and don't dump all the milk in at once. Sharp cheddar matters here because mild cheddar barely tastes like anything once it melts.