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Le Chaudron recipe
Mac and cheese
Baked four-cheese mac and cheese
⏱ 35 minServes 4Easy520 kcal
A recipe from Le Chaudron — the cooking of France’s regions.
01 — Ingredients4 servings
500 g (18 oz)macaroni or elbow pasta
100 g (3½ oz)unsalted butter
80 g (3 oz)all-purpose flour
800 ml (3⅓ cups)whole milk
300 g (11 oz)grated sharp cheddar
200 g (7 oz)shredded mozzarella
100 g (3½ oz)grated Parmesan
100 g (3½ oz)grated Gruyère
200 ml (¾ cup)thick crème fraîche
1 tspDijon mustard
1 pinchnutmeg
1 pinchsweet paprika
100 g (3½ oz)panko breadcrumbs- 30 g (1 oz)melted unsalted butterfor the topping
1 tspfleur de sel (flaky sea salt)
1 tspfreshly ground pepper
- 500 g (18 oz) macaroni or elbow pasta
- 100 g (3½ oz) unsalted butter
- 80 g (3 oz) all-purpose flour
- 800 ml (3⅓ cups) whole milk
- 300 g (11 oz) grated sharp cheddar
- 200 g (7 oz) shredded mozzarella
- 100 g (3½ oz) grated Parmesan
- 100 g (3½ oz) grated Gruyère
- 200 ml (¾ cup) thick crème fraîche
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch sweet paprika
- 100 g (3½ oz) panko breadcrumbs
- 30 g (1 oz) melted unsalted butter for the topping
- 1 tsp fleur de sel (flaky sea salt)
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
Quantities scaled for — some (egg, lemon, garlic…) are rounded to what’s practical.
Serves 4. In the app, quantities adjust to the number of guests on their own — and the ingredients go straight to your shopping list.
03 — Method
- MAC AND CHEESE is THE great AMERICAN comfort food. This one has an EXTRA-CREAMY sauce made with several cheeses.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) convection. Generously butter the large 30 cm (12 in) baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water (10 g salt per liter, about 2 tsp per quart) to a rolling boil. Cook the 500 g (1 lb) macaroni AL DENTE, 1 MINUTE less than the package says. It will finish cooking in the oven.
- Make the CHEESE SAUCE: melt 100 g (7 tbsp) butter in the medium saucepan over low heat until it foams lightly, without browning. Add the flour all at once and whisk into a pale roux.
- Cook the roux 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly, without letting it color. Pour in the warm milk in a thin stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Keep whisking over medium heat for 8 minutes until thick.
- Stir the crème fraîche, Dijon mustard, grated nutmeg, sweet paprika, salt and pepper into the hot sauce. Off the heat, whisk in the sharp cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan and 50 g (½ cup) grated Gruyère until melted.
- This four-cheese sauce is the soul of mac and cheese and should be VERY creamy. Drain the macaroni and gently fold it into the sauce in a large pan, off the heat.
- Pour into the buttered dish and smooth the top. Mix the panko with 30 g (2 tbsp) melted butter and the remaining 50 g (½ cup) Gruyère. Sprinkle generously over the top. Bake 25 minutes at 200°C (400°F) until GOLDEN and crisp.
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