


Whisking constantly ensures no lumps and a smooth consistency for whatever other ingredients are added to make a sauce. The most important part of making a roux is cooking it until at least the raw flour taste is done, usually taking a few minutes. They can be cooked to different levels of brownness from a light roux to a very dark one. Normally is is made with equal parts of flour and fat, butter or oil, and cooked on the stove top until smooth. Roux is a mixture of flour and fat cooked together in order to thicken sauces. Don’t be intimidated when you see the fancy word because it’s really quite simple. One of the things that makes this homemade mac and cheese superior to any boxed version is the homemade beer cheese sauce and in order to get the perfect one, most recipes call for a roux. For this one, I added a tossed salad and it was a simple supper, but I could also see taking it to a cookout and being perfect with some burgers hot off the grill. We all have our preference for which ones we want served on the side, like at a backyard barbecue and those we consider a meal. I think one of the reasons we all love macaroni and cheese so much, besides it being delicious comfort food, is it can easily go from side dish to main entree. I bet this dish will become the star of your summer cookouts and weeknight dinner table. From the blue box we still make for our kids, to the family favorite version that has been passed down for generations, we can never have too many recipes for it.īut just when you think you’ve seen (and tasted) every version of mac and cheese there is, one ingredient comes along and changes everything: beer! Pub Mac ‘n’ Cheese is overflowing with ooey-gooey goodness from two different cheeses, but the flavor comes to life with the addition of beer. And the second it stirs in in a figure-eight, the second it melts in, I remove it from the heat.Macaroni and cheese is one of those dishes we never seem to grow out of-or tire of. But if it's 3 cups of milk or combined liquid, it's 3 cups of cheese. You shred it and measure it loosely packed. "Then, to that ratio, it's identical: the amount of cups of liquid to the amount of cups of shredded cheese," Rach says. And she warms it with crushed garlic, which is optional, but delicious if you love garlic in everything like John does!Ĭomfort Food Mash-Up: Rach's Garlic Bread Mac & Cheese
#Why make a roux for mac and cheese pro
Pro Tip: Rach warms the milk first, before adding it to the roux. If I was doing a classic, I would just do salt a little bit of white pepper," she continues. "Once that thickens just to coat the back of the spoon (don't let it get too thick, you don't want that to go too far on you), you season it as you would like. And I use about 3 cups of milk, or a combination of milk and stock," Rach explains. And for every 4 tablespoons of butter and 4 tablespoons of flour, I bump up the butter to 5. So about equal amounts-I usually do a tablespoon more of butter to flour. "What we want to do is start with the roux. RELATED: Basic Cheese Sauce for Mac 'n Cheese Rach breaks down how she makes what John calls "a pretty dang good mac and cheese" in more detail.
