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**Donw** · May 24, 2025, 07:41 PM

Here is the one we use and love:

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded or grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Muenster cheese

1 cup (8 ounces) Velveeta, cut into small cubes

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, or more to taste

1 pound elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 1/2 cups half-and-half

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or other ground red chile, or to taste (optional)

1 or 2 Hatch Chiles, mild or medium

DIRECTIONS

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.

In a medium bowl, toss together the Parmesan, Monterey Jack, cheddar, muenster and Velveeta. Reserve about 3/4 cup of the cheese mixture for the topping.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and the macaroni, and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Drain the pasta, give it a stir and set it aside while you make the sauce.

In the same pot, over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter until it foams, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and whisk until the flour sizzles and turns blond without letting it brown, about 2 minutes. Whisk in 2 ( 4 if doubled) cups of the half-and-half. Reduce the heat to medium, switch to a rubber spatula and stir until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining half-and-half and remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, black pepper and cayenne or chile pepper, if using.

Add all but the reserved cheese mixture and stir until completely incorporated. Carefully stir in the cooked macaroni, breaking up any large pieces that may have stuck together, until just combined. The cheeses will not all be melted. Taste and adjust the seasonings, and then pour into the prepared 9-by-13-inch dish. Top with the reserved 3/4 cup of the cheese mixture.

Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the cheeses on top are melted and the mixture is bubbling and hot.

Variations: For a stove-top version, keep the pasta and cheese in the pot and stir over low heat until the cheeses are melted and the macaroni is hot, about 10 minutes.

NOTES

Added 2 hatch chilies, mild for Kathy. Medium if serving to others.
Original recipe called for 1/2 tsp cayenne but I adjusted to 1/4 if using hatch chiles. Add hatch at same time as other seasonings
Ok to substitute 8 oz jack and cheddar if Muenster is not available

**RonB** · May 24, 2025, 08:15 PM

On a tour of Monticello a number of years ago one part of the tour was the kitchen. It seems that Monticello was famous for it's mac n cheese. Our tour guide mentioned that one of the secrets to great mnc was to cook the pasta in milk. It sounded wasteful to me until I realized that you could probably use that milk in the dish. I do need to try that...

**Carolyn** · May 24, 2025, 08:28 PM

I love creamy mac and cheese. I can't stand the glossy, eggy stuff.

I have been working on a recipe that mimics the Piccadilly Cafeteria's mac and cheese. I am darn close, and the last batch was really good. Sounds weird but what makes Piccadilly mac and cheese taste the way it does is the nutmeg. Only needs a pinch or so with a small amount of sugar in the sauce, which doesn't make it sugary sweet, just balances the nutmeg. Too much nutmeg and it is ruined. Just right and, "😘 mwaah," and I am not a big fan of nutmeg in general.
Good stuff and nostalgic for me.