Step 3 Melt the butter in a large pot and sprinkle in the flour.

The macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot.

Step 1 Cook the macaroni until very firm.

(There's always a good gruyère cheese substitute at the grocery store, too.) Keep it simple with just sharp cheddar or sprinkle in a variety depending on what you like best. I almost always mix different types of cheese: colby, monterey jack, fontina, mild cheddar, pepper jack… even a little gruyère if I allow myself to be in denial about how expensive it is to buy. What’s the best cheese to use in mac and cheese? Just be sure not to bake it too long so the macaroni doesn't dry out! Bake just until the cheese is melted and bubbly. That extra layer of cheese helps hold in the moisture when it bakes in the oven. But the secret to baked mac and cheese is this crispy top, which hides a creamy, soft bottom. There's whole milk, a pound of cheese, and an egg to thank for that. The star of this recipe is the cheesiest, dreamiest cream sauce that sinks into every nook and cranny of the macaroni. How do you keep macaroni and cheese creamy? The resulting creaminess is worth the extra step! Oh, the cheese! Pre-shredded, bagged cheeses don't melt as well as cheese grated straight from the block, so be sure to do that yourself.

The dried mustard powder (or a substitute for mustard powder if you're really stuck) provides the perfect tangy bite that balances all that richness, and then there's the cheese.

Adding an egg to mac and cheese makes the sauce smooth, velvety, and heavenly rich. There are a few ingredients that make this the best macaroni and cheese ever. And it's the only pasta (or food) I consumed until I was about fourteen years old. It's macaroni and cheese made with the best butter. I shall show you the comfort food that is solely responsible for my bones and tissues multiplying and growing at a young age. I shall take you by the hand and take you where you need to go.

Best ever mac & cheese