One pound dry mac, 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese. Then dry, crushed bread crumbs, lightly buttered, on top....lightly sprinkled.....

"To taste" LOL

exchange bread crumbs for another sprinkle of cheese on the top. Exchange "sharp" for a milder version. LOL OH..is this for you or more for a kid's taste?

I agree to taste. I would start with 2 cups and you can mix your cheese's too! I use whatever cheese I have left in opened bags. Sometimes there may be 3 different cheese's LOL For the amount of Mac, I would use 14oz box.

I love using cavatappi rather than elbows. Normally 1 lb. Also use a mix of Gruyere and extra-sharp cheddar.

Sharp cheddar is used, because in a white sauce the flavor is diluted. I wouldn't use "sharp' any other time. JMO

I would add at least a pound.

There is another way you could go and use regular cheddar. You can skip the roux and use sodium citrate as the binder. Sodium citrate is a sour salt that binds water and oil together. Basically you are making Velveeta with real cheese.

https://modernistcuisine.com/recipes/silky-smooth-macaroni-and-cheese/

I've made it only with water and also milk. My family prefers it with some milk.

The reason to taste is that not all cheddars or any other cheese even of the same type taste the same. Some can develop stronger flavors when cooked but most become milder.

Personal preference the few times I have made mac n cheese is for a mixture but hold all of the blue cheese types. I am aware that adding them was popular at some of the restaurants in this area before things went wonky but my tastebuds have an aversion.

Some freshly shredded hard cheese like Romano, Asiago or Parmesan will really amp up the flavor if your cheese sauce seems a little bland.

To taste, lol. But really, 2 c cheese is a good start. For tinkering, make your béchamel with just 2 cups of the milk at first, then start incorporating the cheese, adding the last cup of milk as needed to keep it to the sauce consistency you want. Better to thin at the end than end up thickening down with this kind of sauce. And don't be afraid to mix up your cheeses, or just use cheddar too if you like. Leave your sauce a wee bit loose to finish firming and soaking into the pasta if you are baking it.

Pound of pasta is standard, fave kinds is up for debate. So are recommended toppings or not, to bake covered or uncovered- and if uncovered, at what point?

Or are you going for stovetop? Let your sauce thicken almost for service, and add in your preferred dente pasta, and still let it marry for at least a few minutes. If you want some topping, save it for the plating. If you like add in's make sure they are all fully cooked and just need the stovetop reheating and marry time before service :)

My recipe calls for 3 cups of milk too. I got it from a macaroni package about thirty years ago and have made it a hundred times, so trust me, it works.

4 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. flour

3 c. milk

2 c. dry macaroni, cooked

1 1/2 c. grated extra sharp or sharp cheddar cheese. I usually use 2 cups though.

I love cheese and Macs, but it is a bit like baking cookies. Once I see just how much fat and sugar is in those cookies it is a wake up call. The same with cheese Macs. They taste great but the reality is that they are super loaded with fat and calories and they should be eaten and enjoyed with that reality in mind.

I dont' use sweet milk and my way of making it probably would not be appreciated by many.

I love cavatappi, too. Cavatappi and a dash of olive oil and a dressing of a good grated hard cheese and a sprinkle of black pepper is good, but , it is not what most think of as Mac and cheese.

I would imagine sweet milk would be rather gross in mac and cheese. I think of mac and cheese as a savory dish, not a sweet one.

Cacio e Pepe is really tasty though, I sometimes make it with white pepper instead of black pepper.

Just a comment on the sweet milk. Although it was uncommon to see it mentioned in older cookbooks you would sometimes see it. It was not the sweetened condensed milk that is currently called sweet milk. It was from when people milked their own cows. It was one of two things. Milk before it started to clabber, go bad, or fresh milk. In the days before refrigeration people would use slightly soured milk and cream in those recipes that currently call for sour cream or yogurt.

Good point, Maifleur. It's "sweet milk" as opposed to "soured milk".