Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni (about 2 cups, uncooked), prepared in 3 ½ C chicken broth + enough salted water to allow pasta to roll and boil
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 cups half & half cream
- 4 cups chicken broth (3 ½ C to boil the macaroni, ½ C for the cheese sauce)
- 3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (8 ounce block)
- 2 ounces cream cheese, cubed
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring to a boil 3 ½ C chicken broth and enough salted water to give the pasta room to move and roll while boiling. Add macaroni and cook to al dente. Drain pasta in a colander and put sauce pan back on the stovetop to make the sauce.
- Melt the butter in the sauce pan. Sprinkle in flour. Whisk until there are no lumps and flour makes a thick paste. Whisk in seasonings.
- Whisk in broth, continuing to whisk until there are again no lumps. Whisk in half and half.
- Added grated cheese one handful at a time. After each handful, whisk slowly until cheese is melted before adding another handful. Add cream cheese and whisk until smooth.
- Fold in pasta and serve! Top with extra black pepper, if desired.
Notes
- Packaged shredded/grated cheese does NOT work for this recipe. It is coated with starches to keep the cheese from clumping together in the bag, and those starches will keep your cheese from melting quickly and smoothly.
- Room temperature, hand-grated cheese melts the best.
- Boiling your pasta in broth infuses loads of flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 599kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 40g | Sodium: 584mg | Sugar: 5g