Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe

Debra Ponzek, chef and author of The Dinnertime Survival Cookbook, shares her baked mac and cheese recipe.

A young American chef I know who studied in London passed this recipe along to me. I made it my own but essentially I learned to make this very American dish from someone trained by the Brits. Of course, the English make some of the best Cheddar cheese on the planet, and the better and sharper the cheese, the better the final dish. The milk stirred with the cheese makes the sauce especially creamy, although there is no cream in the recipe.

Ingredients:

4 Tbs. unsalted butter
5 leeks, trimmed, white and pale green parts, cut into half-moon slices (approximately 5 cups)
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
12 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (approximately 4 cups)
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. penne

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and cook the leeks, covered, for 10-12 minutes, or until they are softened but have no color.

3. Uncover the pan, sprinkle the flour over the leeks, and continue to cook for about I minute longer, stirring constantly. Add 3½ cups of the milk, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and stir in 3 cups of the cheese and the mustard. Remove the pan from the heat and stir until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth. Add the salt and season to taste with the pepper.

4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions so that it is al dente. Drain well, add the pasta to the cheese sauce, and then gently stir in the remaining ½ cup of milk. Pour the pasta into the prepared baking dish, top with the remaining cup of cheese, and bake for 25-30 minutes until just golden brown. Serve hot.

Debra Ponzek, who lives in Greenwich, CT, is an internationally acclaimed chef and owns four locations of Aux Delices with her husband Gregory Addonizio. This recipe is excerpted from Ponzek’s The Dinnertime Survival Cookbook.