Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups milk (low-fat ok)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lb elbow, shell, ziti, or similar pasta
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 shallots (or yellow onion)
• 2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1.5 cups grated sharp cheddar or gouda
• 1.5 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 0.5 cup panko breadcrumbs
• freshly-ground black pepper
• salt

Method

Heat your milk to 60°C with the bay leaves — this gentle infusion draws flavour without curdling — and stir in the shallots and garlic once they've been softened in butter over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until translucent, not browned. Set aside to cool slightly. This aromatic-vegetables foundation is non-negotiable; raw alliums will persist as a sharp bite rather than integrate into the sauce.

Build your roux by melting 3 tbsp butter over medium heat until it foams, then add the flour in one go and stir continuously for 4–5 minutes. The roux should deepen to a sandy brown — this is your drying-out period, where residual moisture evaporates and starch gelatinises. Don't rush past the colour shift; a pale roux won't thicken properly and tastes floury. Whisk in the infused milk a quarter at a time, working out lumps before each addition. Once fully incorporated, the sauce will tighten noticeably as heat activates the starch. This is correct.

Cook the pasta 1–2 minutes under its packet time — it will finish in the oven, and mushy pasta cannot be salvaged. Drain without rinsing; the starch clings to the surface and helps the sauce coat evenly. Toss the pasta with the dairy-based cheese sauce immediately, then fold in the grated cheddar and Gouda off the heat. The residual warmth melts the cheese without splitting the emulsion. Season assertively with salt and pepper now; the pasta will mute flavour once baked.

Transfer to a buttered roasting pan, scatter the Parmesan across the surface, then top with panko breadcrumbs. Bake at 200°C for 12–15 minutes until the breadcrumbs gild to pale brown and the filling bubbles visibly around the edges. The bubbling signals that starch and protein have fully absorbed the sauce; if you pull it out early, the pasta will slump and release liquid as it cools. Let it rest 2 minutes in the pan before serving. The crust should crackle against your spoon.