Ingredients
Mornay Sauce
- 100 mL all-purpose flour
- 100 mL unsalted butter
- 1.2 L 3.25% homo milk
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp black pepper corns
- 4 sprigs fresh picked thyme
- 1 cup grated gruyère cheese
- 1 cup grated aged cheddar
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
Mac & Cheese
- 400 g dry pasta (such as orecchiette or elbow macaroni)
- 1 L Mornay sauce (see above recipe)
- 1 cup grated gruyère cheese
- 1 cup grated aged cheddar
- 1 cup grated mozzarella
- 2 cups smoked diced ham
- 2 tsp canned chipotle puree
- 1 cup of dry bread crumbs
- table salt
- black pepper
Method
Mornay Sauce
To make the roux, melt the butter in a round Dutch pot, then add the flour and mix until all is well incorporated. Continue cooking the mixture on low heat for about five minutes, making sure to stir the roux every few minutes. The resulting roux should be blonde in color.
Heat up the milk separately with the bay leaves, pepper corns, and thyme. Steep for 10 minutes at a low simmer. Remove the sprigs of thyme and bay leaves and add the milk slowly into the pot with the cooked roux, stirring constantly with a whisk until all the milk has been incorporated. Continue to cook the sauce gently until it thickens, stirring every few minutes with a wooden spoon to prevent burning on the bottom of the pot. Mix in the cheeses and add the table salt and taste, add a touch more if needed.
Mac & Cheese
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook the pasta in large pot of boiling water for nine minutes, making sure the finished noodles are al dente. Strain the pasta through a colander and let cool on large baking tray. Add a little olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking. Set aside a bit of each of the three cheeses to sprinkle on top at the end. Place the cooled pasta in a mixing bowl, and add the mornay sauce, chipotle, diced smoked ham, and the rest of the cheeses. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the salt and pepper to taste (it should be well seasoned and a bit peppery).
Divide the mixture into the 6 smaller baking dishes or one large baking dish. Sprinkle cheese and bread crumbs on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top starts to look golden brown and delicious. Serve immediately.
