Skip to main content

The BEST Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese




Ingredients
  • 16 oz elbow macaroni, cooked (or other tubular pasta)
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 2 cups Gruyere cheese shredded
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 1/2 cups panko crumbs
  • 4 tbsp butter melted
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a large 3 qt or 4 qt baking dish and set aside.Combine shredded cheeses in a large bowl and set aside.
  2. Cook the pasta one minute shy of al dente according to the package instructions. Remove from heat, drain, and place in a large bowl.
  3. Drizzle pasta with olive oil and stir to coat pasta. Set aside to cool while preparing cheese sauce.
  4. Melt butter in a deep saucepan, dutch oven, or stock pot.
  5. Whisk in flour over medium heat and continue whisking for about 1 minute until bubbly and golden.
  6. Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until nice and smooth. Continue whisking until you see bubbles on the surface and then continue cooking and whisking for another 2 minutes. Whisk in salt and pepper.
  7. Add two cups of shredded cheese and whisk until smooth. Add another two cups of shredded cheese and continue whisking until creamy and smooth. Sauce should be nice and thick.
  8. Stir in the cooled pasta until combined and pasta is fully coated with the cheese sauce.
  9. Pour half of the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese and then the remaining mac and cheese.
  10. In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter and paprika. Sprinkle over the top and bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.


Base Recipe adapted from this SITE

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients 3 cups (380 grams) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon fine sea salt 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar 1 1/4 cups (247 grams) lightly packed light brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 large eggs, at room temperature 2 cups (340 grams) semi sweet chocolate chips Directions Preheat oven to 350�F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. If time permits, wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours but no more than 72 hours. This allows the dough to �marinate� and makes the cookies thicker, chewier, and more flavorful. Let dough sit at room tempe...

CHOCOLATE OREO CAKE

INGREDIENTS CHOCOLATE CAKE 2 cups (260g) flour 2 cups (414g) sugar 3/4 cup (85g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder OR Hershey�s Special Dark Cocoa powder 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 2 large eggs 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil 1 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 cup (240ml) boiling water OREO ICING 1 1/2 cups (336g) butter 1 1/2 cups (284g) shortening 8�9 cups (920g-1035g) powdered sugar 3 cups (414g) Oreo crumbs (about 33 Oreos) 1 tsp vanilla extract 6�7 tbsp (90ml-105ml) water CHOCOLATE GANACHE 6 oz (1 cup | 169g) semi sweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream Oreos, optional NOTE: You�ll need at least one full package of Oreos. If you plan to decorate the outside of the cake with more Oreos, as shown, you might need a second package. INSTRUCTIONS  Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom, and grease the sides.  Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and...

Glazed Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients For the Muffins 2 cups all-purpose flour � cup sugar � teaspoon sea salt 3 teaspoons baking powder � cup coconut oil 1 cup milk I used 2 percent 1 egg 2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon lemon zest 6 oz fresh blueberries washed and any stems removed For the Glaze 1/4 cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Instructions Preheat oven to 400. In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar, sea salt and baking powder, and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg slightly, and stir in the coconut oil, milk and lemon zest. Stir in the lemon juice Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture, and mix with a hand mixer until batter is smooth Stir in the blueberries Pour batter into lined muffin cups, and bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean Remove from oven, and set aside In a small...