Cookout Style Mac & Cheese

• This recipe calls for a lot of cheese that is shredded. You can buy pre-shredded cheese, but it is strongly recommended that you purchase cheese in block form as pre-shredded and pre-sliced cheese has starches that can prevent smooth melting. The results could be more clumpy out of the oven. This recipe also makes a large amount intended to feed a crowd of about 14-16 people. Reduce to half to make a batch that only requires 1 pound, or 450 grams of noodles.
• The blend of cheese is up to your preference, but I find that using 400g of yellow or white American, 350g yellow or white cheddar, and 250g of provolone makes a great melty and slightly tangy blend, full of flavor.
• This recipe also calls for cream which can come from either heavy whipping cream, sour cream, or even full fat yogurt. This depends on how rich you prefer the taste to be. Heavy Whipping cream will add a lot of dairy fat giving a rich and smooth cream texture. Sour cream will add tanginess and acid. An equal blend of both, or using whole fat yogurt is a well balanced version.

For the Béchamel (Cheese Sauce)

1. Preheat the oven to bake at 420F (215C).
2. Start bringing roughly 7 quarts of water to a boil in a large 10qt pot with about 8 Tbsp kosher salt. Move on with the sauce while bringing to a boil.
3. Start by completely melting 1/2 cup butter over medium high heat in a medium 6qt sauce pan. This will produce a large amount of sauce so make sure your pan is big enough as to not overflow and make a mess.
4. Add 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour and whisk until combined to form a roux. Cook the rough for about 4-5 minutes so the flour can toast well in the butter.
5. Add 1 tsp of ground black pepper, 1 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, and 1.5 tsp kosher salt to the rough and stir to combine.
6. Once combined, add in 2 cups of chicken broth, 1 cup of whole milk, and 1 cup of cream.  Your cream can be from either heavy whipping cream for richness, sour cream for tanginess, yogurt, or any combination to your likeness.
7. The béchamel should thicken within a 4-5 minutes over medium heat and start to resemble a thick gravy and should not be at all runny.
8. Add 500 grams of the cheese blend into the be béchamel and turn off the heat while leaving the pan over the burner to slowly melt and blend into a finished sauce and too cool down as it melts.  This could take about 5-10 minutes. The sauce should be thick and gooey, but not solid or stretchy.  If it's too firm, add a little more milk, a tablespoon or two at a time until smooth, but not runny.

For the Pasta and Baking

1. While your cheese sauce is melting together, add your dried pasta to the boiling water you started earlier. Read the instructions on your brand of noodles and set a timer for only half of the total cooking time from the instructions. Typically 5-6 Minutes.
2. Prepare a strainer in the sink as well as prepare your baking dish so that it is ready to fill.
3. After the pasta has cooked half way through, drain the pasta with the strainer and give the strainer a good few bounces to extract as much water as you can. Or you can simply let the pasta rest to cool down for 10 minutes.
4. Once cooled, add half of the noodles back into the cooled pot they were boiled in, and the other half into the baking dish.
5. Pour half the béchamel sauce over both halves of the noodles and stir with a large spoon until both halves of the noodles are completely coated in sauce.
6. With the remaining 500g of shredded cheese, add half over the top of the noodle that are in the baking dish, reserving the other half for later.
7. Once you have topped the baking dish half with shredded cheese evenly, pour the remaining noodle from the pot into the baking dish forming another layer.
8. Top with remaining shredded cheese, spread evenly.
9. If want to add extra savory notes, finely shred or shave 4 Tbsp of Pecorino Romana or Parmesan Cheese over the top.
10. Bake at 420F (215C) for roughly 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until deep golden brown or to your preferred doneness.  Turning half way through.
11. You can serve immediately or rest for 8-10 minutes.