Step 2 -While the pasta cooks, pour the milk in a saucepan with salt, grated nutmeg and black pepper. Add the macaroni and cook to al dente (about 2 minutes less than the box indicates the cooking time to be). Step 1 -Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.

Pre-heat your oven at 350 ° F (180 ° C) with a rack in the middle. Choose a young Gruy è re for a mild flavor and an older one for a bolder taste. I understand Gruy è re cheese is more expensive than a common block of cheddar, but it really makes a big difference to buy a good-quality block of Gruyere for this recipe.

In Canada/US, I like to a buy a block of it and grate it myself. In France, Gruy è re cheese is very easy to find in all grocery stores, already pre-grated into small packages. It melts beautifully and creates a perfectly melty and stringy textured mac n’ cheese. This Swiss cheese is the perfect mix of sweet and salty, with lovely nutty notes. Lastly, grated Gruyère cheese is added for finishing the sauce. This typical French thickened cream brings a nice tanginess to the sauce while making it even more rich and velvety. Secondly, crème fraiche is whisked into the B é chamel Sauce. It’s incredibly creamy and acts as a great base sauce in most French-Style mac n’ cheeses. B é chamel is a white sauce that begins with a roux (butter and flour), to which warm milk in whisked in, to create a thicker sauce. First, the base sauce is a B é chamel sauce – one of the classic French “ mother sauces ”. They are particular to how the sauce is created and you will find these three components in most “French-Style” mac n’ cheeses. In comparison to the American version, there are three main components that makes this recipe a French-Style Mac’n Cheese.

Making a bechamel for mac and cheese