| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 10 min |
| Prep: | 30 min |
| Inactive: | 10 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 ounces butter
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Kosher salt
- 3 ounces all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 6 ounces smoked Cheddar, grated
- 3 ounces mascarpone
- 1 large egg
- 1 pound cooked macaroni
- 4 ounces panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter, add onion and garlic and sweat over medium heat for 3 minutes with a pinch of salt until vegetables are translucent and aromatic. Add flour and stir with wooden spoon until the flour is completely incorporated with the vegetables, cooking for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock 1/3 cup at a time, stirring vigorously to ensure no lumps form. Bring to boil and reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in the half-and-half, Cheddar, mascarpone, and egg. Toss sauce with macaroni and place in a 2-quart casserole pan. Mix bread crumbs and parsley in a small mixing bowl and sprinkle on top of pasta. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until bread crumbs are golden brown.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 383 |
| Total Fat | 23 g |
| Saturated Fat | 13 g |
| Carbohydrates | 33 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 12 g |
| Cholesterol | 82 mg |
| Sodium | 428 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 383 |
| Total Fat | 23 g |
| Saturated Fat | 13 g |
| Carbohydrates | 33 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 12 g |
| Cholesterol | 82 mg |
| Sodium | 428 mg |
Reviews
This recipe is not bland at all. Not everyone likes smoked cheddar, so sub a different cheese if you like – but this recipe is great. Michael Symon’s recipes are a definite go to for me!
Best Mac and cheese ever! Made it multiple times. So rich and yummy.
Other reviewers noticed the problem with the flour, it worked ok with 3 tablespoons instead of the 3 oz called for in the recipe. With 1 cup of stock there was not much stock to reduce, so I simmered it for 20 minutes and not 40. I added extra cheese, the consistency was very creamy, the onion and garlic added a nice flavor touch, I also added a bit of cayenne just to add a little kick.
I thought that this recipe was heavenly. It should be a 5 star plus. At first I thought that the ratio of sauce to noodles was wrong. I found out that it was perfect. The sauce is so creamy and the panko bread crumbs on top really topped off this dish nicely. I will definitely make it again! Alton Brown’s recipes never fail me. Thank you!
Love it and have used it multiple times! I make slight adjustments (don’t use mascropone, parsley or panko bread crumbs) but overall everyone enjoys it.
Perhaps my husband and I are more hedonistic than most, but we found this recipe to be painfully dry – and that was AFTER adding three more ounces of cheese than recommended. We also, as other commenters have mentioned, had to use nearly two cups of stock as opposed to what was called for, here.
With all due respect to Mr. Symon, we’ll be modeling our Mac & Cheese after Ina’s formula in the future, which uses 20oz of cheese to this recipe’s 9oz (although we’ll hang onto the Panko – can’t go wrong with that).
This came out a good consistency and the flavor was pretty tasty. I made a batch with and without pancetta and I felt that the dish really benefited from the addition of bacon… and I’m sure Michael Symon would agree, of all people!
The recipe is good, but I’d suggest the following modifications::
-3 TBS of flour (not sure how much that differs from 3 oz, but easier to measure)
-More Cheddar (~1 to 1.5 cups gives a lot more flavor)
-MORE Chicken Stock (I used almost 2 cups)
Suggestions:
-Use Penne Pasta to “Up the class” if you will
-Add bacon or chicken for flavor and substance if you want it as a main dish
-USE THE ONION, it adds tons of flavor, and if you dice it fine, saute it first, and simmer for anywhere close to the 40 minutes.. NO ONE who generally dislikes onions will ever notice them in the dish (Trust me)
forget to put these two chesses together. I used sharp cheddar and mild cheddar and also added a little romano to the bread crum topping. Also use more chcicken stock…maybe two cups. The effort to simmer all for a long time worth it as it infuses the mac with great onion taste …I will use again . Top the mac with slices of tomatol, them the bread crum stuff….good…with modification.
It should be 3 TBS, not 3 oz., of flour. Unless, of course, you like the taste of paste.
Make this one adjustment and it’s really terrific.