Skillet Mac Cheese

First week of November. The election news has been distracting at work because some of the parents talk about it at pickup and I try to stay neutral in the way childcare workers are supposed to and also have opinions about things the way human beings do. I keep them to myself at the daycare door and then talk to Tyler about them in the evenings, which is one of the functions of a relationship that I am newly appreciating: the person you process things with.

Thanksgiving planning is underway. This year there will be more people: Tyler will be at Gloria's for Thanksgiving, the first time, and I want the meal to be exactly right. I have been making my list: the turkey, brined overnight, the mac and cheese, the collard greens, the green bean casserole, the sweet potato pie with cardamom, the cornbread, the rolls I can now make without looking at a recipe, and this year I am adding something new: a second dessert, Debbie's pecan pie alongside my own sweet potato pie.

I am also going to make Debbie's pimento cheese and bring it as an appetizer with crackers, which feels like the right gesture toward the other family that is now part of my life. Gloria will taste it and understand what it is, which is me saying: here are all my people in one meal.

I made a pot of gumbo this week because November arrived and gumbo is what you make when the weather turns. Three hours, proper dark roux, the holy trinity, shrimp and andouille and crab, served over white rice. Tyler called in the middle and said it smells amazing and I said you can smell it through the phone and he said I can hear it in your voice.

The mac and cheese has been on my Thanksgiving list for years — it’s non-negotiable, the dish people reach for first — but this year it carries more weight, because Tyler will be at Gloria’s for the first time and I want every single thing on that table to be exactly right. A skillet mac and cheese, finished until the top is just barely golden, feels like the kind of dish that says something without saying it: that I know how to feed people, that this is a home, that you are welcome here.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 lb elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
1 cup Gruyère cheese, freshly shredded
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, freshly shredded
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted (for topping)

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook macaroni 2 minutes less than package directions (it will finish in the skillet). Drain and set aside.
Make the roux. In a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture is pale golden and smells nutty.
Build the sauce. Gradually whisk in the warmed milk and heavy cream, a little at a time, until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Add the cheese. Reduce heat to low. Stir in mustard powder, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add the shredded cheeses in three additions, stirring between each until fully melted and smooth. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
Combine. Fold the drained pasta into the cheese sauce in the skillet until every piece is evenly coated.
Top and broil. Preheat your broiler to high. Toss the panko breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon melted butter and scatter evenly over the top of the mac and cheese. Place the skillet under the broiler for 2 to 4 minutes, watching closely, until the topping is deep golden and the edges are bubbling.
Rest and serve. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving directly from the skillet.

Nutrition (per serving)

Skillet Mac Cheese — The Dish That Says “All My People in One Meal”