Stove Top Mac & Cheese

I love the idea of homemade macaroni and cheese but every time I have the baked stuff I feel like I've died a little inside.  I can't believe that it's so impossible to make a tasty home version of that delicious boxed stuff. Seriously, fake cheese is sometimes the highlight of my day.


So I found this recipe by Alton Brown, who is pretty much amazing, and decided to give it a whirl . . . but with mostly different ingredients. Because that's how I do things.

To start, boil and salt a big pot of water and throw in a couple servings of pasta. As you can tell this is very technical and all measurements must be to EXACT specifications.  I used rotini because it was easier to reach than the macaroni.  What.  Don't think I don't see the irony!

After it's cooked to that perfect al dente state, drain it and put it back in a pot with about 2Tbs of butter and stir it around until it's melted.  So far this feels just like the stuff in the blue box . . . which feels goooood.  (Who decided the box should be blue anyway?  Did Kraft just start the craze and everyone else is living off their success?  These are the kinds of questions I'd like answered.)

In a separate bowl whip together an egg and about 1/2 cup of evaporated milk, then pour over the pasta and stir in 1/2-1 cup of shredded cheese.  I used some aged white cheddar we had (aren't we sophisticated?)  but I almost think this would be better with that classic cheddar taste.

Keep stirring until all the cheese is melted and creamy.  You might need to put it back on some heat, or add some regular milk if it gets too thick.  In all honesty mine turned out a bit rich so I'd almost lean towards using regular milk anyway.

Add some salt and pepper and you're done! Please, don't skip this step.  I used to think that step was superfluous in most recipes and I'd just roll my eyes and say "oh SURE.  If the recipe was really that good I wouldn't NEED salt and pepper."  WRONG.  This is the difference between bland, inside-killing Mac & Cheese and glorious, tasty, lick-your-bowl-clean Mac & Cheese.

This really takes about the same amount of time as Mac & Cheese from a box, but people will think you're something amazing when you make it yourself.