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You’ll strain them out before you stir the cheese into the thickened béchamel. We like to add a bay leaf, sliced onions, and whole peppercorns when we’re putting together the roux. Here are the keys to making a velvety, savory cheese sauce: The starch in the roux stabilizes the cheese, keeping the sauce from separating as the macaroni and cheese bakes
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Shredded cheese is added to the béchamel (which is now called a Mornay sauce). A béchamel is a simple white sauce that’s made by cooking equal parts melted butter and flour into a smooth paste (called a roux) and whisking in milk. When cheese is overheated, the protein solids and the fat separate, and it gets stringy and rubberyīaked macaroni and cheese needs a béchamel sauce to bind it. Whether you’re making baked or stovetop macaroni and cheese, you’ll need to cook the cheese over very low heat and for the shortest possible time. Use a gentle heat for a smooth cheese sauce We also like a stovetop version, in which we experiment with stronger-flavored cheeses, melting them with some cream over very low heat before tossing in the pasta. The classic baked version is our favorite, based on a white sauce to bind the casserole, with Cheddar cheese stirred in. Like many comforts, it’s best when you keep it simple and straightforward. Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. Mary’s apartment is filled with the cozy aroma of macaroni and cheese, and on a day like today, we can’t think of anything we’d rather eat. As we put the final touches on this story, our very last, just-to-make-sure recipe test is in the oven. It’s a raw, chilly day, and San Francisco is wrapped in fog.