Nyesha Arrington's Mac And Cheese is excerpted from "Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time" © 2013 by Adrian Miller. Reproduced by permission of The University of North Carolina Press. All rights reserved.
Nyesha Arrington's Mac And Cheese
Makes 10 servings
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 3 1⁄2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 3 tablespoons all- purpose flour
- 2 1⁄4 cups whole milk, plus more as needed, warmed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄8 teaspoon ground white pepper
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 3 1⁄2 cups coarsely grated Cantal, Gruyere, or sharp white cheddar cheese, divided (1 pound)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 cups fresh white bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a 2 1⁄2-quart casserole dish.
- Cook the macaroni al dente according to the package directions. Drain in a colander and set aside
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until very soft and golden brown, about 12 minutes. Set aside.
- Melt the remaining 2 1⁄2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is pale yellow and frothy, about 2 minutes. Do not allow it to brown. Slowly whisk in the warm milk and continue to whisk until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Reduce the heat to very low, add 3 cups of the cheese, and stir until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth. The sauce should be the consistency of pancake batter, so thin the sauce with a little milk if necessary.
- Stir in the macaroni, onions, parsley, rosemary and thyme. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1⁄2 cup of cheese over the top.
- In a small bowl, toss the bread crumbs with the melted butter and sprinkle over the casserole.
- Bake until the casserole is warmed through and the top is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving warm.