When you want the very best mac and cheese, why not go the Alton Brown’s choice as the top Mac and Cheese in the USA. While not much more work then your everyday mac and cheese, you can have classic comfort food.
Editor’s Note: Originally Published October 15, 2010. Last Updated June 13, 2018, with new text and re-edited photos but the recipe stayed the same.
Listed as the top Mac and Cheese by Alton Brown on Food Network’s “America’s Best: Top 10 Comfort Foods“, Zingerman’s Roadhouse in Ann Arbor is a local tradition.
We were off to AA for football, and my daughter (and wife) love mac and cheese, so I thought it was time for classic goodness. Zingerman’s posted the recipe for this one but took it down. I basically follow the recipe but with some simplification and expansion of the instructions for clarification. I do not use raw milk cheese. And I used a different pasta.
My Rating:
A top of the line Mac and Cheese
Recipe Notes for Roadhouse Mac and Cheese
Quality does matter. Good cheddar cheese and good pasta go a long way to making this dish special. Get the best you can. Somewhat like cooking with wine, you shouldn’t make this dish with cheese that does not bring a smile to your face when you eat it. I pick a sharp Cabot’s Cheddar.
I love Velveeta in other mac and cheese dishes but not here. The same goes for the pasta and the dijon mustard. Use the best you can get to make the best.
Cook 1 pound of pasta according to box instructions with 2 tablespoons sea salt. Drain and set aside.
In a heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat then add one small chopped onion and one bay leaf. Cook until onion is soft and getting transparent. About 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
Slowly add 2 tablespoons flour to onion for about 1 minute while stirring continuously.
Now slowly add 1 1/2 cups whole milk while stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Now add 1/4 cup heavy cream in the same manner. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickening.
Reduce heat to medium. Now add 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and the one pound of excellent cheddar cheese. Stir well and continue to simmer (only a few bubbles) for about 5 minutes.
Now add 2 teaspoons olive oil to a large pan and heat until oil is starting to smoke. Add pasta and cheese mixture and stir until about 15% is golden brown.
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Roadhouse Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 lb macaroni - your choice
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion - small diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons AP flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 pound cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Cook 1 pound of pasta according to box instructions with 2 tablespoons sea salt. Drain and set aside.
- In a heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat then add one small chopped onion and one bay leaf. Cook until onion is soft and getting transparent. About 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
- Slowly add 2 tablespoons flour to onion for about 1 minute while stirring continuously.
- Now slowly add 1 1/2 cups whole milk while stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Now add 1/4 cup heavy cream in the same manner. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickening.
- Reduce heat to medium. Now add 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and the one pound of excellent cheddar cheese. Stir well and continue to simmer (only a few bubbles) for about 5 minutes.
- Now add 2 teaspoons olive oil to a large pan and heat until oil is starting to smoke. Add pasta and cheese mixture and stir until about 15% is golden brown.
Have a question or something not clear? Ask in the comments.
Nutrition is for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated.
Originally Published October 15, 2010
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Dr Dan
Definitely using cast iron next time. I just wonder why I didn’t this time. It was just setting there saying US ME but I had to use the All Clad.
Chris
You are probably right about the cast iron. It makes a huge difference in so many dishes.
The mac and cheese looks “to die for” as they say in these parts. Don’t worry, that’s a good thing:)
Christine
Dad brought this over to my house yesterday and it was a definite hit! It was flavorful and just amazing. I loved it and will make it myself.
The Zingerman’s recipe doesn’t state it, but on the Food Network they talked quite a bit about using a cast iron skillet to brown this. Dad had some browning, but not as much as he would have liked. We reheated it post-game for dinner by putting it in the oven at 375 for about 30 minutes I think, which was perfect. I reheated the extra little bit leftover today for lunch in the microwave, which made the cheese separate a bit and become oily (the mac and cheese was still yummy though). I think this is more a function of the microwave than the constant reheating. So, avoid the microwave and try the slow reheat in the oven instead.