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White Sauce and Bread Crumbs - the mac magic

white sauce

My menu planning and wiki posting system is still being fine tuned. I say this because there is the absolute sloth factor that crops up when one is too lazy to come up with a practical and cogent weeknight menu. Last week went off without a hitch but we’ve had two Plan B nights this week. Last night we ate Paninis instead of risotto and tonight ot was homemade mac and cheese instead of pizza. Both were big hits…especially the mac and cheese.

white sauce

The backbone of macaroni and cheese is a classic white sauce. Its simple proportions makes it easy to remember and it’s a snap to pull off. It’s 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon all purpose flour, and 3/4 cup milk. For my mac and cheese I use 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoon flour, and 2 cups of milk (I go a little light on the milk because I’m adding cheese). I use a heavy 4 quart cast iron/enameled sauce pan. I start by melting the butter and then adding the flour. I stir the flour into the butter and let it cook over a medium low flame for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring often. Then I add the milk, turn up the heat to medium and whisk it until smooth. Then I add pepper, salt, and Crystal Hot Sauce and let it simmer on medium low for 5 minutes or so, stirring often.

While it’s simmering I grate up (use the food processor) some cheese…this time it’s cheddar and Gruyere. I add it to the white sauce and bingo… it becomes a cheesey delight that would be so tempting to guzzle. But I restrain myself and combine it with the drained pasta instead. I transfer it to a buttered cast iron gratin pan and bake it at 375 degrees. After 10 minutes I pull it out and add a layer of breadcrumbs.

Breadcrumbs are the other must have for homemade mac and cheese. They too are so simple…if you’ve got bread then you’ve got bread crumbs. When you’re grating the cheese for the sauce as I outlined in the step above you also want to pop 3 or 4 slices of your most stalest bread into the toaster and let it do its thing on its lowest setting for as long as possible without burning the bread. I use the toaster oven and set it to 250 degrees. Once the mac is in the oven you can pop the bread into the food processor which is now fitted with its blade and pulverize the bread into crumbs. I also like to add a pinch of salt and a clove of garlic. Heat a heavy skillet over a medium flame and add a 2 tablespoons of butter. Once it’s melted add the bread crumbs and cook them until they’re lightly browned, stirring often.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the mac and return it to the oven for 5 minutes or until it’s golden crunchy brown on top. Serve it up and know this…it is totally possible to make this fabulous, soul-satisfying dish in 40 minutes; just remember to put the pasta water on to boil the minute you walk in the door. Menu Planning and wiki posting are all good but it sure is helpful to have a Plan B like this.

Wednesday, September 17 is my 2 year blogiversary….woot. I’ve got a few blog improvements on my task list that I hope to get completed soon…a recipe index is number one. Thanks to all my sweet readers for keeping me going….I’m looking forward to another year.

September 16, 2008 | Filed Under beef, fish, poultry, pork, food, geek fast food, gratins, stews, and stir-frys, menu, pasta, pizza, noodles, quick and easy, recipe 

comments

12 Responses to “White Sauce and Bread Crumbs - the mac magic”

  1. [eatingclub] vancouver || js on September 16th, 2008

    Mac and cheese was never part of our repertoire and I’ve hesitated making it because I always had the impression that it was extremely butter-intensive (and fattening).

    So it isn’t that butter-intensive — so maybe I should indulge in this rich, ooeygooey goodness soon. Your looks fantastic! I love the breadcrumbs!

  2. Sabayon on September 17th, 2008

    Have you tried crumbled Ritz crackers instead of breadcrumbs? I love them on my mac and cheese, partially it’s the saltiness, but their slightly sandy texture means they make an excellent crunchy topping when tossed with a little melted butter.

  3. Erin @ The Skinny Gourmet on September 17th, 2008

    Gruyere is an absolute must in any mac and cheese I make, although it took me a while to figure that out. growing up in wisconsin we mostly stuck to the big sandwich cheeses: american, cheddar, swiss.

    But I have to say the bread crumbs mystify me. I’ve never made it that way because when I am eating it I always think “what do I want? more cheese!” and I dont find myself thinking “more bread!” and yet many very fine recipes include bread crumbs. And both your commenters are also big crumb fans. Help a crumb-neophyte understand what the crumbs are bringing to the party…

  4. vanessa on September 17th, 2008

    The crumbs are all about texture…in this case it was some delightful multi-grain bread with lots of seeds in it. It’s also about a top note of garlic which brings so much to the eating experience too. There’s also that toasty flavor…mmmm! I’ve had it both ways and once I tried the crumb version I’ve never looked back.

  5. brilynn on September 17th, 2008

    I think I could live on mac and cheese and its infinite variations, delicious!

  6. cheezmaker on September 17th, 2008

    Hi there! Found you through “The Friends of Maurice” our cast off group left over from the “Next Food Network Star” show.

    Toasted bread crumbs are a must. One of my tricks is to layer the cheese/pasta mixture in the pan with another layer of just the shredded cheese. Keep going like a lasagna, then at the end pour some heavy cream over it all. then put the crumbs on top. not exactly low calorie but all things in moderation!

    congrats on your anniversary- I enjoy your postings!

    cheezmaker

  7. Fred on September 18th, 2008

    Great post - now I have a craving for mac and cheese! For the amount of white sauce you make in the recipe, about how much cheese and pasta do you add?

  8. Cristie on September 18th, 2008

    Thanks for publishing your mac-n-cheese recipe. My kids frequently ask me to make mac-n-cheese. They like what I make, but it’s no favorite of mine. On the other hand, yours appeals to me. It looks really good! Thanks for describing the steps, plus the bread-crumb instructions.

  9. Scott at Realepicurean on September 19th, 2008

    I thought mac n cheese was something from McDonalds till I read this, heh. Still, a great classic dish!

  10. Lo on September 19th, 2008

    … and macaroni & cheese is always a great use for some of that lovely Wisconsin cheese!

  11. michelle @ TNS on September 19th, 2008

    goddamit, i love homemade mac and cheese. i usually use cheddar and fontina, sometimes with a little jack for extra creaminess. because, you know, sometimes bechamel isn’t creamy enough.

  12. Robyn Rime on September 24th, 2008

    Nature’s perfect food. How much cheese and how much pasta, for those of us who can’t wing it with a recipe?

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