The Best Mac and Cheese 3 Ways

Macaroni In A Pot

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add in the pasta, stir and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside while you make the sauce. 
2. Add the butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour. Continue to whisk and cook the roux for 45 seconds, ensuring all the flour is dissolved in the butter. While continuing to whisk, slowly add in the milk to evenly combine with the roux. Whisk the sauce until it thickens and coats a spoon. 
3. Whisk in the cheese until completely melted and the sauce is velvety smooth. Stir in the crème fraîche and season the sauce to taste with salt. 
4. Immediately add the pasta to the finished sauce and stir until the pasta is evenly coated. Serve. 

Family Style Oven Mac ‘n Cheese

Breadcrumb Topping: 

1. In a medium bowl stir together the breadcrumbs, za’atar, and thyme until combined. Add in the melted butter and stir until the breadcrumbs are evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. 

Mac ‘n Cheese: 

1. Preheat your oven to 350℉ (175℃). 
2. In a large bowl combine the cheddar and gruyère cheeses. Set aside. 
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook until it is just shy of al dente, about 10 minutes for the conchiglie style pasta. Drain and set aside. 
4. To the same pot you cooked the pasta in, add the butter over medium-high heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour. Continue to whisk and cook the roux for 45 seconds, ensuring all the flour is dissolved in the butter. While continuing to whisk, slowly add in the milk to evenly combine with the roux. Whisk the sauce until it thickens and coats a spoon.
5. Whisk in 4 cups (333g) of the cheese mixture, reserving the rest for later, until it is melted and a smooth, velvety sauce forms. Add the pasta and stir to evenly coat.  
6. Pour half of the mac ‘n cheese into a 4-5 quart baking dish. Top with the remaining 2 cups (167g) cheese followed by the remaining half of mac ‘n cheese. Sprinkle the breadcrumb topping evenly over the top and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until bubbly and the top is lightly golden brown.

Low-Calorie Mac ‘n Cheese:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with kosher salt. Add the pasta, thanks to our friends at Thrive Market, and cook until al dente, following the package directions. Drain and set aside. 
2. Remove the leaves and stem of the cauliflower and break up into large florets. Add the florets to a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Boil the florets for about 8-10 minutes or until they become completely fork tender and mushy. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, drain the cauliflower from the water and place in a blender. Add about 1 cup of the cauliflower cooking water to the blender and blend until completely smooth, adding more water, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. 
3. Add in the grated cheese, nutritional yeast, turmeric, truffle salt (if using) or kosher salt, and black pepper. Blend again until smooth. Mix the sauce together with the pasta until evenly coated. 
4. Place in bowls, top with grated parmesan or pecorino and serve.