I wanted mac’n’ cheese, but my favorite All-Clad that I always use to make the cheese sauce was dirty. So I decided to try making the cheese sauce in the microwave. It turned out identical to my regular sauce.
I put the butter in a glass pyrex dish and microwaved it in thirty second intervals until it was melted. I then mixed in the flour and microwaved it in thirty second intervals, whisking after every interval. Once the roux was ready, I added the milk and continued with the thirty second intervals, continuing to whisk the bechamel. I cooked it until it was thick and bubbly, just like I would on the stove top. I added the grated cheddar and whisked until it was fully incorporated. The tricky part was when I had to add the radiatorre pasta. Normally, I put the pasta in a clean bowl and pour the sauce on top. Mixing the pasta into the bowl of sauce proved difficult, and I ended up losing a pieces. Making the sauce in the bowl also left some sauce at the top of the bowl, which got a little dark under the broiler.
Overall it was a complete success, but I’m kind of a traditionalist, so this won’t become my SOP.
(No pic because everyone’s seen my mac’n’cheese)
Ravings of an Amateur Foodie 