Macaroni and cheese
Ingredients
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons powdered mustard
¼ teaspoon cayenne
5 cups milk
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Directions
  1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat.
  2. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt; cook until pasta is tender.
  3. Drain pasta and set aside in colander.
  4. In now-empty Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming.
  5. Add flour, mustard, and cayenne, and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute.
  6. Gradually whisk in milk; bring mixture to boil, whisking constantly (must reach full boil to fully thicken).
  7. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes.
  8. Off heat, whisk in cheeses and 1 teaspoon salt until cheeses are fully melted.
  9. Add pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes.
Serves 10-12.