Mimi’s Mac & Cheese

This is a variation on Mimi’s mac and cheese – she used regular spaghetti instead of macaroni noodles and less cheese.

Ingredients:

Cook noodles according to the package directions, while you make the cheese sauce.
Prepare a baking pan by coating the inside with softened butter.

Warm the milk in the microwave.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the A/P flour and whisk constantly until it forms a white roux, about 3 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and slowly whisk in the warmed milk. Starting with about ¼ cup of milk at a time, thoroughly whisk it to a thick cream sauce before adding another ¼ cup of milk.
Repeat this process until about half the milk has been whisked into the roux, then add the remaining milk.
Whisk thoroughly and return the saucepan to a medium heat. Bring this to a simmer and whisk constantly until the sauce thickens and can coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes.
Add kosher salt and pepper to taste, then add about ⅓ of the grated cheddar cheese.
Blend this together completely and set aside until the pasta is cooked.
Once the noodles are cooked, reserve about ¼ cup of the pasta water, drain the noodles and return them to the pot.
Add the cheese sauce and the reserved pasta water to the noodles and mix well.
Add one (of 3) layers of noodles to the pan and smooth out.
Add a thick layer of grated cheese evenly over the noodles.
Repeat 2 more layers. See Notes
Place tabs of butter on top of finished pan

Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F, remove the aluminum foil and finish baking for 5 to 10 minutes until golden brown on top.
Remove the baking pan from the oven and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.

Chef Simeon's Cook Nook