Growing up in a sparsely stocked kitchen (yeah, we were poor) meant making do with what we had. And even then, I messed around with the ingredients. I'm pretty sure it was the first thing I ever cooked on my own, with my tiny apron, and my tiny step stool, and my tiny fire extinguisher. If you didn't eat it as a young 'un, you're probably not American. Poaching takes away the sharpness and bite and leaves you with a soft, mellow, sweet flavor thatвЂ™s heavenly when spread on a soft roll or mashed into scrambled eggs - and it blends beautifully in this ultimate macaroni gratin.Boxed macaroni and cheese is a rite of passage. Garlic steeped in oil at a low heat for a few hours. Garlic confit is simply oil poached garlic. Garlic Confit вЂ“ I just put this recipe on the website a few days ago and already IвЂ™m using it in so many things. In fact, you wonвЂ™t see the white pepper at all in the 3 cheese sauce. White Pepper вЂ“ This spice isnвЂ™t as complex tasting as fresh crushed black pepper, but the real reason I use it for my old fashioned mac and cheese, is because it blends without adding dark specks and marring the look of the creamy cheese sauce. I find that cayenne and dry mustard compliment each other, especially in a cheese sauce. Cayenne pepper is about 10 times hotter than a jalapeГ±o, so you donвЂ™t need a lot to add a little kick. It only takes 1-2 minutes to do this by hand.Дry Mustard вЂ“ Adds a tangy flavor and intensifies the cheesiness ( is that a word?) in the sauce.Д¬ayenne Pepper вЂ“ This is the tingle, I was talking about. Use the larger holes for the Cheddar and Jarlsberg and the finer grates for the harder Parmigiano Reggiano. I recommend a traditional box grater for grating the cheese. The white cheddar gives a nice tangy lushness to the sauce, but the Jarlsberg ( recommended by PooleвЂ™s) is the standout in this dish and elevates this old fashioned mac and cheese, giving it a sophisticated flavor. In addition to Parmegiano Reggiano, weвЂ™re also using sharp white cheddar and real Jarlsberg. If you see that вЂ“ itвЂ™s the REAL DEAL Other cheeses for 3 cheese mac and cheese The cheese producers have labeled their wheels with вЂњParmigiano ReggianoвЂќ stamped in little pin pricks all around the perimeter. To check for authenticity, look for a wedge that includes the outside rind. In fact, several years ago I had a sampling of parmigiano reggiano that had been aged from 1-5 years - you could see and taste the difference.

ItвЂ™s real cheese and its aged longer than other wannabes. Real Parmegiano Reggiano doesnвЂ™t have any fillers. I swear I didnвЂ™t used to be a cheese snobвЂ¦ until I read thisвЂ¦ Many industrial produced вЂњparmesansвЂќ have fillers and anti-clumping agents made from wood pulp.

Buy a few real chunks of cheese and grate them yourself. Fine if your using them for an omelette, but theyвЂ™ll make your cheese sauce grainy. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents, so the grated shards wonвЂ™t stick together in the package. (If you donвЂ™t have it ready made in the fridge, you can skip it, this timeвЂ¦ but use it for the next batch).ДЇor the ultimate mac and cheese, start with whole chunks of cheeseвЂ¦ not that pre-packaged, pre-grated stuff. ItвЂ™s mellow and smooth - and plays very nicely in this particular sandbox. I also add a little garlic confit, which is essentially garlic without the sting. My version of their recipe uses some of the classic seasonings youвЂ™ll find in many mac and cheese recipesвЂ¦ dry mustard, white pepper and cayenne. TheirвЂ™s is a simple, but decadent, old fashioned mac and cheese without embellishment. This recipe was inspired by the Macaroni Au Gratin recipeВ from the PooleвЂ™s Diner Cookbook and itвЂ™s a doozy. Parsley (to make it look healthier than it is).Ingredients for ultimate creamy, cheesy mac and cheese

If youвЂ™ve got more people or bigger appetites, double the recipe. Consequently, when I make it, I made a small batch. Before we get into specifics, I want to preface this by saying thereвЂ™s only 2 people in my house - and this ultimate mac and cheese doesnвЂ™t keep in the refrigerator.

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