Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese

Serving Size: 10 people

A family favorite dish, loved by both children and adults! A combination of cheeses, layered in the dish as well as melted into a rich and creamy cheese sauce, makes it the ultimate cheesy comfort food. Enjoy it in a casual weekday dinner or wow your guests at a party or a holiday meal.

Recipe by: The Chunky Chef

Cook Times

Active Prep20

Hands-On Cook0

Hands-Off Cook25

Passive0

Total Time45

Recipe Serving Size10 people

Cooking Tools Required

Grater, Pyrex baking dish, Stock pot or >5 Qt pot, Top Stove

Ingredients

1 pound elbow pasta
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup whole milk
2 1/2 cup half and half
4 cup cheddar cheese measured after grating
2 cup Gruyere cheese measured after grating
1/2 tablespoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 3 qt baking dish (9x13"). Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When boiling, add dried pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package directs for al dente. Drain and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to keep from sticking.
While water is coming up to a boil, grate cheeses and tosses together to mix, then divide into three piles. Approximately 3 cups for the sauce, 1 1/2 cups for the inner layer, and 1 1/2 cups for the topping.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over MED heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. The mixture will look like very wet sand. Cook for approximately 1 minute, whisking often. Slowly pour in about 2 cups or so of the milk/half and half, while whisking constantly, until smooth. Slowly pour in the remaining milk/half and half, while whisking constantly, until combined and smooth.
Continue to heat over MED heat, whisking very often, until thickened to a very thick consistency. It should almost be the consistency of a semi thinned-out condensed soup.
Stir in spices and 1 1/2 cups of the cheeses, stirring to melt and combine. Stir in another 1 1/2 cups of cheese, and stir until completely melted and smooth.
In a large mixing bowl, combine drained pasta with cheese sauce, stirring to combine fully. Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with 1 1/2 cups of grated cheeses, then top that with the remaining pasta mixture.
Sprinkle the top with the last 1 1/2 cups of cheese. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs and the melted butter. Sprinkle over cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the top is lightly golden brown.

Reheating Instructions

Heat in microwave on medium power, stirring halfway through heating time or bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Nutrition