One-Pot Manchego Mac and Cheese Recipe | Saveur

Some of my biggest culinary wins are a product of the drunchies—you know, the drunk munchies. That’s how this one-pot manchego mac and cheese recipe was born: I’d just gotten home from the club and had a hankering for a big bowl of mac. But making béchamel was a nonstarter—I needed sustenance, now. So I fried a handful of breadcrumbs, adding Spanish pimentón for color and heat. Then I cooked a box of pasta straight in the milk, stirring it like a risotto and letting no creaminess go to waste. Finally, in went the contents of my cheese drawer, grated white American and manchego. I wolfed down every last smoky, gooey spoonful, convinced I’d created the best Iberian-American mashup ever. Maybe that was the drunchies talking—or maybe a pinch of pimentón really is the secret to great mac. Try this recipe, and you be the judge.In a large pot set over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant (do not brown), 1–2 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the paprika and cook for 30 seconds, then add the panko and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden, 4–6 minutes. Scrape into a bowl and set aside. Step 2To the empty pot, add the milk and 2½ cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring every 2 minutes, until the pasta is soft (do not undercook), 12–14 minutes. Add the American cheese, manchego, mustard powder, and remaining paprika and butter and stir until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Season with salt to taste, then top with the panko and parsley and serve.