MAC ‘N’ CHEESE 5 WAYS

When “the blue box” macaroni and cheese routinely sells for a dollar or two (or less) each, why would anyone want to go through the hassle to replicate it from scratch?

Because homemade mac ‘n’ cheese tastes so much better. Also, the home cook’s ingredient list uses far fewer words than you’ll read on the box, so it’s gobs healthier for everyone, too.

I found this recipe while searching for a baseline mac ‘n’ cheese with which to play “theme and variations” and it’s super. The trick of beginning the elbow macaroni in cold water works perfectly because you finish cooking the pasta through in the pot with the cheeses. And you achieve that “blue box” gooeyness by using various, well, gooey things along with the plain old mac ‘n’ cheese.

And it all becomes a top-notch template for adding any number of whatevers or tweaking flavors (of cheeses or seasonings or finishes). I offer four.

Are there infinite variations on Mac ‘n’ Cheese? Well, maybe, but here are a mere five.

RECIPE: The Food Lab's Ultra-Gooey Stovetop Mac and Cheese Recipe
"The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science," J. Kenji Lopez-Alt; serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 pound elbow macaroni
Kosher salt
One 12-ounce can evaporated milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon Frank’s Red Hot or other hot sauce
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 pound extra-sharp cheddar, grated (see note)
8 ounces American cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (see note)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 chunks

Directions
Place the macaroni in a large saucepan and cover it with salted water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking. Cover the pan, remove from the heat, and let stand until the pasta is barely al dente, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the evaporated milk, eggs, hot sauce, and mustard in a bowl until homogeneous. Toss the cheeses with the cornstarch in a large bowl until thoroughly combined.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and return it to the saucepan. Place over low heat, add the butter, and stir until melted. Add the milk mixture and cheese mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is completely melted and the mixture is hot and creamy. Season to taste with salt and more hot sauce. Serve immediately, topping with toasted breadcrumbs if desired.

Note: Use a good melting cheese or combination thereof, like American, cheddar, jack, Fontina, young Swiss, Gruyere, Muenster, young provolone, and/or young Gouda. To reheat the pasta, add a few tablespoons of milk to the pan and cook, stirring gently, over medium-low heat until hot.

For “Everything” mac ‘n’ cheese: For the final seasoning, add 1/3 teaspoon each: salt, freshly ground black pepper, poppy seeds, toasted sesame seeds, garlic flakes and onion flakes.

Cauli-pasta mac ‘n’ cheese: For the pasta, substitute 2 medium heads of cauliflower, broken into small florets and blanched 7 minutes.

Italian mac ‘n’ cheese: For the grated cheddar, substitute 1 pound of aged Asiago; for the American cheese, substitute 8 ounces high-moisture fontina or mozzarella; top servings with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Baked mac ‘n’ cheese: Butter a 2-quart baking dish or casserole and add the finished recipe to it, topping the whole with a mix of 3/4 cup panko crumbs, 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.