I did it. I made Chrissy Teigen’s very own mac and cheese, found in her very first cookbook, Cravings

For those of you who don’t know, Chrissy Teigen is one of the best young celebrities out there. She cooks, she models, she’s funny, and she’s talented. Her website is currently being redone and the homepage is her infamous 2015 Golden Globes crying face. Told you she was funny. Also, Spoon LOVES her.

mac and cheese

Photo courtesy of Aubrie Pick

Choosing what recipe to make was like choosing what Netflix show to watch when you’re in bed at 8:00 pm. It was hard. I consulted Spoon to help me decide, but I went with the mac and cheese because there’s a picture of it on the back cover of her book.

The recipe was everything I hoped for. Here are some things I think you should know:

  1. Mac and cheese is labor intensive because of whisking. Whisking is when you take a closed head massager and stir stuff until your arm gets tired and realize it’s still not done.
  2. The result is WORTH IT. Always.
  3. Chrissy’s recipe calls for American cheese. Yep, like Kraft, for example. That melty stuff that you ate in your grilled cheese when you were five. The stuff that may or may not be as satisfying to eat as an adult. If you don’t want your final product to have that Kraft flavor, choose a different cheese, or increase the quantities of the other two cheeses to make up for the American cheese omission. I used the exact recipe this time (plus extra garlic – always extra garlic) because when Chrissy tells you to do something, you do it.
  4. Only make this for people you love since it’s pretty laborious and cleaning up a pot full of cheese sauce is not an effort you should reserve for acquaintances.
mac and cheese

Gif courtesy of newsflow24.com

This recipe makes me feel like a real, grown-up cook, and for that, I thank you, Queen Chrissy.

Chrissy's Mac and Cheese

  • Prep Time:20 minutes
  • Cook Time:25 minutes
  • Total Time:1 hour
  • Servings:8-12
  • Medium

    Ingredients

  • Kosher salt
  • 1 pound pasta shells
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 4 oz unsalted butter
  • Extra butter to line baking dish
  • 5 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 5 cup whole milk
  • 3 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 3 cup grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese
  • 3/4 pound (about 16 slices) American cheese
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used more for my taste)
Photo by Ava Gambero
  • Step 1

    Preheat oven to 425° F.

  • Step 2

    In a large pot of water, boil pasta shells according to package instructions.

     

  • Step 3

    Drain pasta, rinse it, and coat with vegetable oil so it doesn’t stick together while it waits to be drenched in cheese.

    Photo by Ava Gambero
  • Step 4

    Grease 9 X 13 baking dish with some butter.

    Photo by Ava Gambero
  • Step 5

    Melt one stick of butter on medium-high heat in a soup pot.

    Photo by Ava Gambero
  • Step 6

    Add flour to butter and constantly whisk for 5-6 minutes until the mixture is light brown and toasty.

  • Step 7

    Keep whisking and add the milk slowly. Bring the heat up and keep. On. Whisking. When it boils, decrease the heat and whisk for another 4-5 minutes to thicken.

    Photo by Ava Gambero
  • Step 8

    It’s time for cheeeeeeeeese. Add all of the cheese, but save a handful of each to sprinkle over top later. Don’t forget to whisk it!

    Photo by Ava Gambero
  • Step 9

    Whisk in two teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and the cayenne pepper. (This step is necessary, the amounts are not. Keep tasting the sauce until it’s how you like it. After all, you just worked your whisking arm to a nub for this.)

    Photo by Ava Gambero
  • Step 10

    Add the cooked pasta and more seasoning if desired. Combine it all, and transfer to greased baking sheet.

    Photo by Ava Gambero
  • Step 11

    Cover the top with leftover cheese and the breadcrumbs (see recipe below). There are a lot of breadcrumbs, but if you work hard and believe in yourself you can fit them ALL.

    Photo by Ava Gambero
  • Step 12

    Place in oven and cook for eight minutes until the topping is golden and crunchy.

    Photo by Ava Gambero
  • Step 13

    SHE’S HERE. Wait as long as you can bear before eating because your impatience will cause you to burn your mouth.

    Photo by Ava Gambero

Cheesy Garlic Breadcrumbs

  • Prep Time:5 minutes
  • Cook Time:20 minutes
  • Total Time:25 minutes
  • Servings:Makes about 4 cups
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • 8 slices torn white sandwich bread
  • 6 cloves garlic (I probably added two extra small ones)
  • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 tablespoon finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Photo by Ava Gambero
  • Step 1

    Grind bread in a food processor into fine crumbs.

     

    Photo by Ava Gambero
  • Step 2

    Mince garlic, or process it in the food processor after the bread.

  • Step 3

    Melt butter over medium low heat in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook until it starts filling your kitchen with aromatic goodness.

    Photo by Ava Gambero
  • Step 4

    Add the breadcrumbs and cook about seven minutes, until they are toasty.

    Photo by Ava Gambero
  • Step 5

    Transfer breadcrumbs to a plate or bowl, and mix in the parmesan cheese.

    Photo by Ava Gambero