When making mac and cheese, the purpose of the roux is to thicken the milky sauce and stabilize it, reducing the risk of it splitting. But it needs constant stirring to get a smooth consistency.

Melt the butter over a medium heat in a saucepan slightly larger than that used for the macaroni. Add the flour and stir to form a roux ... how the cheese melts and can make your sauce grainy.

Stir in roughly two-thirds of the cheese, a generous pinch of salt and 3–4 twists of black pepper (roughly ¼ tsp coarsely ground pepper). Simmer the sauce gently for 2–3 minutes, stirring ...

Unlike BA’s Best Macaroni and Cheese recipe, it’s made without a roux—meaning no flour-based thickener to worry about lumping up the cheese sauce. Instead, American and sharp cheddar cheeses ...