10 Min Mac & Cheese

“It ain’t easy bein’ cheesy” is a straight up lie because you can achieve the ultimate cheesiness in under 10 minutes with this recipe. #foolproof

Also, if you want to make this into a baked mac and cheese situation with bread crumbs, just use an additional 1/2 cup of heavy cream in the recipe. Once it's finished, top with a handful of breadcrumbs and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and cook in an oven-safe dish for 15-20 minutes at 400 F. (I like to add more cream to ensure that the pasta doesn't dry out while baking.)

A few notes: You could use milk if you don't have heavy cream since the cornstarch is a thickening agent - the sauce just won't be as luscious from all the fat in the heavy cream! One time I made it with half heavy whipping cream and half 2% milk and it turned out just fine. I also have a vegan macaroni and cheese recipe that's bomb if dairy doesn't suit you. If you can't eat gluten, the sauce is naturally gluten free so just swap out the pasta for your favorite brown rice pasta! Gotta look out for all my homies with food sensitivities or allergies. <3

If you're cooking ahead of time, pour the finished product into an oven safe dish before refrigerating. My favorite way to reheat it is to add a cup of Velveeta cheese cubes to the top and then pour in 1/2 cup of whole milk before warming in an oven for 30 minutes at 300 degrees F. The Velveeta isn't necessary but it just takes everything to another level. I do think that the milk is necessary though because it tends to dry up a little bit when it's been sitting in the fridge.

What you need:

• 1/2 lb rotini or elbow pasta
• 2-3 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp cornstarch 
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

What to do:​

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions. If you don't salt the water you might need to add salt to the finished sauce.
2. Melt the butter in a medium sized skillet on medium heat. Add the heavy cream and bring it to a low bubble.
3. While heating the cream, mix the cornstarch in with shredded cheese. (This helps evenly distribute it for the next step.)
4. Add the starchy cheese mixture to the hot bubbling cream and mix around until it's all cheesy and melted.
   
5. Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and combine before serving. (See instructions above for reheating if you're making ahead of time)