Baked Mac and Cheese
Creamy and cheesy baked mac and cheese! It's an easy side dish to accompany any meal!
Ingredients
- 8 oz elbow macaroni
- ½ tablespoon olive oil or butter
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup milk, (microwave for 1 minute)
- 1¼ cups heavy cream, (microwave for 1½ minutes)
- 2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar
- 1 cup freshly grated gruyerre cheese
Spices:
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon paprika powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Toppings:
- ⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water 1 minute less than the direction for al dente (cooked through but still firm). Drain well, add butter/oil. Set aside.
- In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, stirring constantly until it turns pale brown for about 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually pour in milk and cream, whisking constantly for about 4-5 minutes or until béchamel sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat.
- Add spices and cheeses. Stir to combine. The cheese doesn't need to melt.
- Pour the cheese sauce into pasta, stir to combine.
- Transfer the macaroni and cheese mixture into a medium-size baking dish (about 9-inch), sprinkle topping evenly over macaroni with panko breadcrumb, melted butter, and salt mixture.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden and bubbling. If the pasta becomes bubbly before the top is golden, continue cooking under the broiler for a minute or two to crisp the topping.
Nutrition
Calories: 732kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 25gFat: 53gSaturated Fat: 32gCholesterol: 165mgSodium: 780mgPotassium: 230mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1766IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 583mgIron: 1mg
Love the Recipe? Let Us Know!Your feedback means the world to us! If you enjoyed our recipe and want to support our website, please take a moment to rate the recipe!