Couples Mac & Cheese

 

Couples Mac & Cheese should be a thing. What is more unifying and romantic than making a big bowl of carbs and then covering it with cheese and more carbs?

But in all seriousness, scientific studies have shown that couples who cook together, stay together.

Actually, I don’t know that. I made that line up.

When you’re in the kitchen with your spouse it forces you to communicate and work as a team. Many couples have one person who is designated as the “cook” and the other person is relegated to the bench. That person often feels helpless and avoids the kitchen all together so as to not make the “cook” mad or get in their way. This isn’t the best way to look at cooking, and as someone who is the “cook” I’m trying to do a better job at bringing Mrs. Unmanly Chef into the cooking fold. She’s always been the best sous chef a guy could ask for (but as she says don’t make me cut the smelly stuff), but now bringing her into the actual cooking part of the process has helped make the meal an actual fun activity rather than a chore.

Cooking together can be fun, I recommend trying something easy and simple before you tackle a real feast. Our couples cooking session began on a Saturday night, we had just done some major house reorganization, and all we wanted to do was watch Fargo and eat a simple meal. That’s why we decided to make Mac & Cheese.  It was perfect. By limiting the portion size the meal itself really wasn’t a diet ruiner either.

I recommend when you’re cooking as a couple, switch up the roles. If you’re usually the cook, let your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/whatever be the lead cook, it will make for a more fun experience. Plus it will help slowly build the confidence of the non-cook in your family. Most people are scared of making a mistake when they don’t know how to cook.

The worst thing that can happen is that what you made is truly inedible,  but just bask in your failure together, laugh about it and order take out. Failures are always memorable!

Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup of dry macaroni

2 Tbsp. Butter

1 Tbsp. Flour

1/2 Cup of Cheddar Cheese

1/2 Cup of Gouda Cheese

1 Cup of Warm Whole Milk

1/2 Cup of Panko Crumbs

2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese

1/4 Tsp. Ground Mustard

2 Tbsp. Heavy Cream

1 Tsp . Salt

Method

Step 1: Prepare your boiling pot of water and add your tbsp. of salt. The water should be salty (ocean water consistency). Then, add your macaroni and cook for 5-6 minutes. It’s okay if they are slightly under-cooked. They are going to cook more in the oven.

Step 2: Once your pasta is cooked strain it and set it aside.

Step 3: In a separate large sauce pan, add your  butter. Once it begins to foam, stir in your flour until you have a nice smooth consistency.

Step 4: Once you have a smooth creamy consistency in your flour and butter, add your warm milk. Then, add your cream, salt, and ground mustard.

Step 5: Allow this to simmer for a minute so it all melds together, then add your cheeses. If you are finding the sauce to be too cumbersome, add some more cream.

Step 6: Now, pour your macaroni into a medium sized Pyrex, eye ball it and make it big enough so , then add your sauce on top. Stir so all of the macaroni is covered evenly. Then top with your panko topping and then cover it with the parm.

Step 7: Bake for 20 minutes (for however long it takes for the topping to become golden brown).

Enjoy!