Yummiest Ever Baked Mac and Cheese

appleydapply's Note:

A friend brought a big pan of this to a potluck and I HAD to have the recipe to make for my family. It is so yummy and creamy that it's hard to stop eating. We like it as a main dish with a salad, but you could serve it as a scrumptious side dish. These are directions for the full batch which will serve a crowd. It halves easily.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 10

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cheddar cheese soup
• 2 (12 ounce) cans evaporated milk
• 5/8 cup butter (1 1/4 sticks)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 6 cups shredded cheddar cheese (medium or sharp, or a combination)
• dried parsley (for sprinkling on top)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook pasta according to pasta directions just until done - you don't want it mushy, because it will absorb a little of the cheesy liquid in the oven.
3. Combine soup, evaporated milk, butter, salt, and pepper in a large microwaveable bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving a small vent, and cook for 6-7 minutes until the butter is melted and the mixture is warm-to-hot throughout. (If making a half batch, 4 minutes in the microwave should do it).
4. In a large baking dish (minimum 9x13, smaller if halving the recipe), spread 1/3 of the cooked noodles. Top with 1/3 of the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheddar.
5. Repeat layers twice, ending with the cheese.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
7. When it comes out of the oven, sprinkle with a little dried parsley if desired. This gives it visual interest, and you can also pretend it's healthier.
8. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Reviews

[lbandbuggy]

This is best mac & cheese recipe I had ever made. I don't like the ones that are all cheddar cheese, and am usually stuck making a velveeta recipe, but never really loved that either. This is now the only mac & cheese I will make! It cooked up very casserole like, but still very gooey & cheesy - it was just great! I made half a recipe, and cut the butter and shredded cheese back a bit (maybe 3 T butter & 2 cups shredded cheese).

[Chef #1100816]

Just made this for dinner tonight- Yummo! The only thing that I did differently was: I didn't have two cans of cheddar cheese soup so instead I used 1 can of cheddar cheese soup and 1 can of nacho cheese flavored soup. It gave the mac and cheese and really good kick. Thanks for the great recipe!

[Chef #1352146]

Yummiest Ever! Best Mac and Cheese recipe I have tried, made it for a crowd and everyone wanted more. I made one small adjustment, mixed the cheese mixture with the cooked noodles and then topped with cheese. Made it a little easier, and was delicious!