Stovetop mac and cheese is well-worn territory. Every imaginable iteration, twist, and mash-up has been done and redone, recreated and reviewed, wrapped up in bacon and deep-fried on a stick. What could we possibly add to the pantheon of knowledge that’s been built, tested, and retweeted within an inch of its life?
How about a blender?
That’s right folks, “Blender Mac and Cheese” is more than just a clickbait title. After learning to “carbonara anything” on the show, it didn’t take long for me to try it out with cheddar and milk. The result is something certainly fussier than anything out of a box or a tube, but certainly less so than a roux, producing an impossibly smooth sauce and porny cheese stretches.
This recipe was excerpted from ‘Basics with Babish' by Andrew Rea. Buy the full book on Amazon.
What you’ll need
Blender
$140 At Amazon
Cayenne
$5 At Amazon
4 Quart Saucepan
$230 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
3
1
¼
8
5
5
4
16
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
In a blender, combine the egg yolks, mustard, cayenne pepper, 6 ounces of the cheddar, 4 ounces of the Monterey Jack, and 4 ounces of the Gruyère.
Step 2
In a large high-walled skillet or saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt. Add the pasta, then reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching the milk, until the pasta is al dente according to the package instructions.
Step 3
Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta cooking milk. Pour the milk into a pitcher. Transfer the pasta back to the skillet. With the blender running, gradually pour the reserved milk into the egg-cheese mixture and blend until the sauce is smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked pasta and stir to combine.
Step 4
Fold the remaining 2 ounces mild cheddar, 1 ounce Monterey Jack, and 1 ounce Gruyère into the mac and cheese. It will look as though there is too much sauce, but it will thicken as it cools.
Step 5
Season with salt and pepper, then serve. If the sauce thickens too much, just add more milk until the desired consistency is achieved.
