Maplemere Kitchen

Damian's Mac and Cheese

A rich baked mac and cheese with cavatappi, sharp cheddar, and liquid smoke.

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Ingredients

Mac and Cheese

1 pound cavatappi pasta
3 to 4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon ground powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Sweet Heat pepper flakes (link)*
If you'd like a hotter version, substitute Sweet Heat with 1/2 teaspoon Hatch Valley Green (link) and 1/2 teaspoon Smoke Show (link).
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
16 ounces Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar, shredded*

Do not use pre-shredded cheese here. The anti-caking starches interfere with the sauce.

Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh black pepper, to taste

Topping

3 tablespoons butter
1 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs

Mise en Place

Pasta

1 pound cavatappi

Bowl 1

3 to 4 tablespoons butter

Bowl 2

3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon ground powdered mustard

Bowl 3

3 cups milk
1 tablespoon liquid smoke

Bowl 4

1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced

Bowl 5

1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Sweet Heat pepper flakes OR 1/2 teaspoon Hatch Valley Green and 1/2 teaspoon Smoke Show Peppers

Bowl 6

16 ounces shredded Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar

Added to Taste

Kosher salt
Fresh black pepper

Directions

Mac and Cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente.
In a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about 5 minutes until smooth.
Stir in the milk, liquid smoke, onion, bay leaf, pepper flakes, and paprika. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the bay leaf.

Temperature control matters. I will typically raise the temperature to medium high as soon as I add the milk to bring the mixture up to temp, but only for a short amount of time. Do not let the mixture boil. Instead, once you get to a simmer, drop the temp down to medium/medium-low to maintain a slow simmer. The mixture needs to be hot enough to melt the cheese in the next step without dropping too much temp in the process.

While still on heat, stir in about three-quarters of the cheese a handful at a time, letting each addition melt before adding more. Season with salt and pepper.
Fold in the pasta.
Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese.
Melt the butter, toss with the bread crumbs, and spread over the top.
Bake for 30 minutes. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

House Notes

This recipe works well as a proper main dish, not just a side.
The PDF version is the best option for printing or kitchen use.