Yes, it should be looser but not super "soupy" so the dish is not runny in the end. You'll want the sauce to cling somewhat to the pasta. It's one of those things that you'll have to try out and tweak to see what ratio works for you.

For this particular recipe, you might want the sauce a bit thinner if you plan to bake it. Cheers!

Hey there,

I was just wondering if whole milk will work with this recipe as I did not see anywhere where it was specified.

Thanks
Mark

Yes, whole milk, as well as 2% etc. can all be used to make a bechamel. The higher the fat content, the richer (and higher in fat) the sauce will be. Cheers!

Absolutely best variation on Mac and Cheese I have made. Not only did I practice my sauce, I also made a great comfort meal on a very cold snowy day in Canada. I used a local Amber Ale - Flying Monkeys and we enjoyed that same beer with the meal. I didnt have the pasta recommended so used a really good dried spelt penne and it was delicious. Also didnt have any cayenne on had so used my favorite ingredient dried red chilies and it was quite hot, which works great for me but may deter some. The chili heat with the rich cheese sauce - I used Balderson one year old cheddar-is really fantastic though. There was only two of us, and my partner ate the lions share, but there are no leftovers. Probably not a good thing, but if comfort was the aim (and it was) then all is well in the world. This is the first practice recipe for me from rouxbe, and I have to say you have transformed my lumpy bechamel world into something I now feel in full control of. Who knew with a few pointers it really was that easy...no more need to dirty my emursion blender! I am really a chili fan, can you tell me what the difference might be using dried chili vs cayenne in a sauce? I seem to like the chili heat better, but cannot put my finger on why or how to best describe the reason. Would be curious to know what or if there is a difference in how they each perform in a heated sauce.

Sounds like you had an awesome meal and good job on the bechamel and working in your substitutions. I can't really say either about the heat from different chilies...there are several books on chilies and spices as there are so many different kinds. The best way is to keep experimenting with the ingredients you have on hand to determine what you like best. Maybe an expert on chilies/spices can pipe in :-) Again, great job! Glad you liked the dish. Cheers!

We enjoy beer and bacon so this recipe fit the bill for tonight's dinner. Forgot the noodles and didn't want to return to the store so we made homemade dumplings (the size of gnocchi), also forgot the milk so used heavy cream, added a bit of Serrano Peppers and used Great White Ale for beer. Served it with a side of asparagus. Very comforting and delicious dish! Cooking along with your video made it an easy first attempt at making this type of sauce. Thank you. :D