Ultra Creamy Macaroni and Cheese (AKA, Mac and Peas)
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Serves: About 6 servings
 
Like a hug in a bowl. This mac and cheese is rich, creamy, and utterly indulgent, while still having some sneaky good-for-you ingredients. It's my ultimate comfort food, and I hope it will be yours, too!
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. shells, or other kind of pasta (like elbows or fussili)*
  • 2 TBSP unsalted butter
  • 4 TBSP all purpose flour*
  • 3 cups warm milk (I like to use whole milk, but I grudgingly admit you can get away with using 2% or skim if you really want to)
  • 8 oz. sharp white cheddar, shredded
  • 4 oz. gouda (or other good melting cheese you like), shredded
  • ½ cup plain (unsweetened) greek or regular yogurt
  • 1 tsp. mustard powder
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt (or ½ tsp. fine grain sea salt), or to taste
  • ½ tsp. fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste
  • 2-3 dashes hot sauce, like frank's red hot, or to taste
  • 1 cup frozen peas (or you can use fresh)
  • 1 cup frozen corn (or you can use fresh, or canned)
Instructions
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, season well with salt, and cook the pasta according to package directions.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, make the cheese sauce. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the butter. Once it's melted, add the flour, and stir for a minute or two. Slowly add the milk, whisking/stirring constantly until there are no lumps.
  3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk has thickened, about 6-8 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring after each addition until the cheese has melted smoothly into the sauce. Once all of the cheese is in, add the yogurt, mustard, salt, pepper, and hot sauce, and stir to combine. If the sauce starts to get cold, set it over a low flame to re-warm.
  4. Drain the pasta, and add it to the sauce along with the peas and corn. Stir, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.
  5. Serve hot.
Notes
*If you wanted to make this mac and cheese gluten-free, I've had good luck making a roux (flour and butter mixture) using sweet rice flour in place of the wheat flour. I suggest using 1 TBSP less of the rice flour, as it can sometimes leave a grainy texture behind. Of course, swap the noodles for your favorite gluten-free variety, too.

A word about leftovers: when the mac and cheese cools, the sauce will thicken up quite a bite. To thin it out, just ad a little extra milk while you re-warm it. I successfully made a whole pot of this in advance, kept it in the fridge, and then reheated it slowly over a medium-low flame, stirring frequently, with about ¼-1/2 cup extra milk added. Be sure to adjust the seasoning after adding any additional milk, as it will dilute the flavor a bit. And, if you actually plan on making this in advance of when you want to serve it, it's a good idea to undercook the noodles a touch, as they will finish cooking while you warm everything back up.

Recipe adapted from my dad's recipe, with some inspiration from this copycat Panera Mac and Cheese from Food Folks and Fun.
Recipe by Will Cook For Friends at https://www.willcookforfriends.com/2016/12/ultra-creamy-macaroni-and-cheese-aka-mac-and-peas.html