United States
Mac and cheese
Mac and cheese
Firm shell pasta is coated in a smooth American-cheese and cheddar sauce, folded with Fontina, and baked. This rendition uses no roux.
Dishes in this family
Each dish keeps its own guide; compare the ingredient and preparation differences here.
Pasta ai quattro formaggiA dish that spread as a homey way to melt down whatever cheese ends were left in the fridge, so unlike carbonara or amatriciana it has no single origin legend. The forks are whether the sauce is thickened with milk alone or with butter or cream added, and when the saltiest of the four cheeses goes in relative to taking the pan off the heat.Read this dish →
Gnocchi with GorgonzolaHomemade potato gnocchi are transferred directly into a smooth sauce of sweet Gorgonzola and cream melted over low heat.Read this dish →Cook this pasta on video
Watch the creators’ original videos for the method and finish.
Brian Lagerstrom10 Minute Stovetop Mac and CheeseWatch on YouTube ↗
Meet the dish
An American staple of short pasta coated in melting cheeses and baked
American cheese supplies stable melting, sharp cheddar provides flavor, and Fontina brings stretch. With no flour roux, milk and cheese are whisked smooth before a short, hot bake preserves flow.
Pasta shapes to use
- Medium shell pasta that holds sauce in its cavities
Key ingredients
- American cheese
- Sharp cheddar
- Fontina
- Whole milk
- Butter
- Grated onion
Follow the cooking scenes
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Step 1: Parcook the pasta
Heat the oven to 220°C. Boil shells in salted water for about five minutes, roughly half the package time, then rinse cold to stop carryover cooking and leave room for sauce absorption.
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Step 2: Build a no-roux sauce
Cook grated onion in butter for about five minutes until golden and dry. Bring milk just to a simmer, lower the heat, and melt in American cheese. Add pasta, spices, butter, and cheddar and whisk vigorously for about three minutes.
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Step 3: Fold in Fontina and bake
Off heat, fold in Fontina without fully melting it and add black pepper. Transfer to a dish, concentrate remaining cheddar around the edges, and bake for 10–15 minutes until bubbling and browned in spots.
What to watch for
- Pre-shredded cheese can contain anti-caking agents that make sauce grainy. Grate blocks just before cooking and melt gradually over low heat.
- Fully cooked pasta turns soft in the oven. Parcook and cool it, then remove the bake when the edges bubble, before the center dries.
What sets it apart
American cheese provides the emulsion, cheddar the flavor, and Fontina the stretch in this no-roux baked version.