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Horseradish adds a little kick to Rach's mac 'n' cheese.
Toppings to choose from and/or mix-ins: finely chopped dill, parsley or chives; Old Bay; chopped crispy, smoky, meaty bacon; cooked crab, chopped shrimp or lobster meat
- 1 pound macaroni, shells or elbow pasta
- Salt
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- About 1 teaspoon white pepper
- Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste (about ⅛ teaspoon)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup chicken or beef stock
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup prepared horseradish (Rach's go-to is Gold's)
- 2 cups coarsely crushed saltine crackers
Bring a pot of water to boil for pasta. Salt water and cook pasta 5 minutes, drain, run under cold water to shock, allow pasta to drain again.
In a saucepot or large skillet, melt butter over medium to medium-high heat. Add flour, spices and whisk, add Worcestershire, milk and stock, and allow sauce to thicken a bit. Whisk up egg and add a ladle of the sauce to the egg, temper it and add back to sauce. Stir in sour cream, reduce heat to low, stir in cheese, remove from heat and add horseradish.
Combine pasta with cheese sauce and mix-ins of choice. Place in casserole dish, top with crackers, and bake in a 350˚F oven 30 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Dress the casserole with toppings of choice.
