If I had to pick the most nostalgic dish from my childhood, it would always be macaroni and cheese. My mom's secret ingredient was evaporated milk; she blended it with handfuls of grated cheddar and an egg yolk to make a quick and indulgent sauce. Now that September is here, I've been looking to slow cooker ideas for fall batch cooking – but while I'll always have a soft spot for my mom's cooking, I'm desperate to try out Martha Stewart's macaroni and cheese.
Just like my mom's recipe, Martha Stewart's macaroni and cheese contains a secret ingredient of its own. In a video from over a decade ago, Martha and her mom (the beloved Mrs. Kostyra, or 'Big Martha') explained that their tried-and-tested dish is a 'family classic' that calls for an unexpected addition: tomato paste.
Mixed in with cheese, milk and cayenne, the tomato paste gives a subtle pink hue to the sauce, which is poured over cooked macaroni and baked until golden and bubbling. I'll be dusting off my best Dutch oven and putting this to the test and have no doubt that Martha Stewart's macaroni and cheese recipe will become a time-honored classic in my house, too. Although I'm sure I'll still be making my Mom's version, too.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (plus more for your baking dish)
- 3 cups milk
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 cups grated white cheddar cheese
- 1 cup grated Swiss cheese
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (optional)
- Sour cream, for serving (optional)
Method
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and butter a 2 1/2-quart casserole dish.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook your macaroni until al dente (about 7 minutes). Drain well and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the cheese sauce: warm the milk and tomato paste in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, then whisk in the salt, pepper, cayenne, and cheddar, plus half a cup of the Swiss cheese.
- Stir the macaroni into the cheese sauce and pour the mixture into your prepared dish. Top with the remaining Swiss cheese, dot with butter, and scatter with breadcrumbs (if using).
- Bake for around 45 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling. Serve hot with sour cream, if desired.
Shop everything you need for Martha Stewart's macaroni and cheese
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