Four Cheese Macaroni

Four cheeses, lighter ingredients, and all the gooey satisfaction you’d expect from a proper mac and cheese. This version uses reduced-fat sharp cheddar, reduced-fat Monterey Jack, nonfat mozzarella, and American cheese melted into evaporated skim milk. The result is a sauce that’s still smooth and creamy without the fat load of a traditional recipe.

Evaporated skim milk is the key here. It’s thicker and more protein-rich than regular milk, so it creates a sauce that coats and clings to the pasta without needing a flour-based roux. The American cheese helps too. It melts seamlessly and acts as an emulsifier that keeps the other cheeses from breaking or getting grainy.

After tossing the cooked pasta wheels in the cheese sauce, everything goes into a casserole dish and bakes until the top turns golden and slightly crusty. That baked top layer with the creamy interior underneath is what separates good mac and cheese from great.

Kitchen Tips

• Use a nonstick pan for melting the cheese sauce. The recipe warns about this for good reason. Cheese on stainless steel is a nightmare to clean.
• Melt over low heat and stir constantly. Reduced-fat cheeses are more prone to seizing and clumping than their full-fat counterparts.
• White pepper instead of black gives a cleaner look in the sauce and a slightly milder, more floral heat.
• Don’t overbake. Pull it when the top is golden. Too long in the oven dries out the sauce.

Variations

• Add a pinch of smoked paprika or cayenne to the sauce for a spiced-up version.
• Top with panko bread crumbs before baking for an extra crunchy crust.
• Stir in diced ham or cooked broccoli florets before baking for a one-dish meal.