by Ari Weinzweig
“How can you have macaroni and cheese that costs so much?”
My first response to people challenging what we were charging was to see what was really going on in the food world. So I went around and checked what other places were charging for pasta dishes. What I found was that in every halfway decent restaurant in town they were charging pretty much the same prices we were for pasta. This quelled my anxieties but left me still wondering to myself why so many customers seemed so stressed out by what we were charging.
Finally the obvious dawned on me – when people think “macaroni and cheese” they think “low end.” By contrast, when they think “pasta” they think suave Italian cachet. Which made me realize that this is really about a campaign for American culinary self-esteem and self-acceptance, and an effort to finally defeat the image that “if it’s foreign it’s fancier.” Because guys, let’s face facts – macaroni and cheese is pasta.
Sure, you can get the stuff that comes in a box. I grew up on it. Powdered whey by-product, horribly cheap noodles. You can step up from that and buy cheap commercial “macaroni” from Sexton and toss it with cheap commercial cheese after you buck it up with some canned cream sauce. Not very good either. I know this is what people have in their heads. Low end, mushily soft commercial macaroni with low end industrial cheese. Sounds terrible to me. And to let that define the category seems akin to letting Philadelphia brand define cream cheese or Wonder define bread.
The truth is that not only is the macaroni and cheese at the Roadhouse a really high end macaroni and cheese, it’s made with way better ingredients than almost any restaurant anywhere is going to use.
Typically we use Martelli maccheroni – to my taste, the best there is anywhere. It comes from Italy, and it’s really good. (I guess I should note that if there were an outstanding American pasta of that caliber we’d use it. So far, I don’t know of one. I love Al Dente as an egg noodle but it’s not the type of dried pasta that we need for this type of dish.) We use really good cheese – two-year old raw milk, hand made cheddar from Grafton Village in Vermont. We use real cream, Dijon mustard, and onions.
Our macaroni and cheese has got all the comfort-food appeal of the stuff you get out of a box, but it also stands toe to toe with any “pasta” dish you can find.
This is the most amazing macaroni and cheese on the planet. It is perfect, and well worth the $14. Trust me, I am hooked.
As an aspiring chef I have been tasting Macaroni & Cheese’s anywhere they are offered. I am determined to find my own signature recipe. This Mac & Cheese is unbelievable, if not for money and weight gain concerns I would eat it every day! I would LOVE to know how the cheese becomes caramelized. It is the aspect of this dish that makes it crave-able for me. Thank you for creating this awesome dish!
It’s done in a saute pan to achieve carmelization “to-order”. We heat a iron saute pan, add olive oil, the bechamel, cheese and pasta.
Then we saute over medium heat until properly caramelized.
Having just eaten the macaroni and cheese(the kind with the smoked chicken), not only can I say this is the best macaroni and cheese I have ever eaten, but I just told my son that it’s quite possibly the best ANYTHING that I have ever eaten!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! It is one of our staff favorites as well!
Can’t wait to try this tomorrow night! Yay!
It’s just not fair to give one receipe for the Mac-n-cheese and not the receipe for the Smoked Chicken and Monterrey Jack.
We live out here in Texas and can’t get to Zingerman’s on a regular basis like everyone else, so by all that’s fair, I’d like to know how it’s made.
Thanks
I just tried the mac and cheese with bacon while visiting a friend who lives in the area…my life will never be the same. Is there any way Zinggerman’s might ship it through their mail-order service? Ask Santa, please, for Christmas. It is the MOST delicious thing I’ve ever tasted! I still own my parent’s old house in Ft Wayne, Indiana. I can’t imagine ever coming back for a visit now WITHOUT making the trip to your wonderful Roadhouse. (the salt & pepper collection is too wonderful)
I had the Smoked Chicken and Monterey jack macaroni and cheese as a side a few weeks ago also when I was in the Ann Arbor area. I must say the best macaroni and cheese I have ever eaten. I have been spreading the word that this Roadhouse should be experienced by everyone. I can’t express enough how good the food was. Very delicious ! I will return to the Ann Arbor area from Canada – just for the food at Zingerman’s Roadhouse.
I agree! The Chicken & Jack Mac is my absolute favorite go-to dish at the Roadhouse. I order it every other time I’m there.
Is there any way to learn how to make the mac & cheese? I live in NJ and I know I will never get ou there to taste it, but it looked delicious. Thank you.
Hi Robin,
Roadhouse Macaroni and Cheese is one of my favorites! And, it’s a really good example of how flavorful a simple dish can be when you use the right ingredients. I’ve got a recipe from Chef Alex that I’m going to share below:
ROADHOUSE MACARONI AND CHEESE
Ingredients:
Coarse sea salt
1 pound macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup diced onion
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 pound grated raw milk cheddar cheese
2 Tsp Olive Oil
Method:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons salt and the pasta and stir well. Cook for about 13 minutes (if using Martelli) or until the pasta is done. Drain it and set it aside.
Meanwhile, melt the butter for the sauce in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat (be careful not to scorch the butter). Add the onion and bay leaf and sauté until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf. Add the flour, and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly.
Slowly add the milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly to avoid lumping. When the flour and milk have been completely combined, stir in the cream. Keep the mixture at a gentle simmer (not at a high boil) until it thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the mustard, cheddar cheese and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes and set aside.
In a heavy bottom skillet over med-high heat get the pan very hot. Add olive oil and when it begins to smoke add the cheese sauce and the drained cooked noodles. Toss thoroughly and continue to cook, stirring occassionally until you have approximately 15 % of the mixture golden brown.
Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Remove from heat.
Serve each bowl of macaroni. Dig in!
I love mac and cheese. I wish that I could visit your place to get a taste! I will try the recipe! I am so excited! Thanks! I hope that I can make it work!
I just watched Alton Brown of Food Network award the Roadhouse with the “Food Network #1 Comfort Food of 2010” for your Mac & Cheese… Way to GO!!!! I’m so happy for you all!!!
In the narrative at the top of the page you say that you use real cream, Dijon mustard and fresh garlic, and yet the recipe given does not list garlic in the ingredients. Can you please clarify? Thank you!!
Hi Leslye, you are correct, there is no garlic in the mac and cheese recipe. The narrative on the top is an error and I will fix it right away. Good catch!
For many of us mac & cheese lovers, it’s the caramelization that counts. And you guys have it! Thank you for the recipe!
Congratulations. I just made your mac and cheese from the recipe posted above…and it was absolutely the best mac and cheese I ever made. Thank you so much for sharing. I definitely plan on visiting your restaurant to have the real thing. I added bacon grease when making the roux and bacon pieces to the bechamel. The instructions were spot on and produced fantastic results. Thank you.
Since I followed the recipe, I had about 2.25 pounds of mac and cheese (not that I’m complaining). It is possible to halve or quarter this recipe. I, sacrilegiously, made a caserole of about 1/2 of the full recipe (after my family feasted on the first half of the recipe) and it also turned out great (though not the same). You are a genius. Your solution is the most elegant.
Six of us are flying in for the football game, saw the TV show and have reservations to dig in to the mac and cheese. I’ll take an extra statin pill, looking forward to it!
Wow! Mac & Cheese extravaganza! Thank you for the reciepe. My grandbabies love mac and cheese, will really dig into this. Think I will try to sneak in a bit of veg, I don’t think they will notice.
We ate at Zingerman’s Roadhouse this past Sat night and loved it. We also ate at the Deli twice in 2 days!
Please send the recipe for the mac & cheese with smoked chicken and monterey jack. It was fantastic!