The Food Lab's Ultra-Gooey Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• kosher salt (For salting the pasta water and seasoning to taste)
• 355 ml evaporated milk (One can)
• 100 g large eggs
• 1 tsp Frank’s RedHot or other hot sauce (Plus more to taste for serving)
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1 lb extra-sharp cheddar (Grated)
• 8 oz American cheese (Cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter (One stick, cut into 4 chunks)
• toasted bread crumbs (Optional, for topping)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the elbow macaroni in a large saucepan and cover it with salted water by 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally so the pasta does not stick.

2. 2

   Cover the saucepan, remove it from the heat, and let the pasta stand until it is barely al dente, about 8 minutes.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, whisk the evaporated milk, eggs, hot sauce, and ground mustard together in a bowl until the mixture is homogeneous.

4. 4

   In a separate large bowl, toss the grated cheddar and cubed American cheese with the cornstarch until the cheese is thoroughly coated and the cornstarch is evenly distributed.

5. 5

   Drain the cooked pasta and return it to the saucepan. Place the saucepan over low heat, add the butter, and stir until the butter has melted.

6. 6

   Add the milk mixture and the cheese mixture to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is hot and creamy.

7. 7

   Season the macaroni and cheese to taste with kosher salt and additional hot sauce. Serve immediately, topping with toasted bread crumbs if desired.

Notes

The recipe's smooth texture depends on gently cooking the cheese mixture over low heat while stirring constantly. The source discusses evaporated milk and cornstarch as stabilizers that help prevent the cheese sauce from separating. Structured recipe nutrition lists approximately 813 calories, 36 g protein, 37 g carbohydrates, and 58 g fat per serving; serving yield is listed as 4 to 6 despite the recipe yield of 6.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• American
• stovetop
• quick
• comfort food
• vegetarian
• family-friendly