Macaroni and Cheese, Rich and Creamy
photo by gailanng
- Ready In:
- 40mins
- Ingredients:
- 10
- Serves:
-
12
ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) box penne rigate
- 3⁄4 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1⁄2 lb gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1⁄2 cup asiago cheese, shredded (or Parmesan)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Coat a 2-quart broiler-safe baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling; add penne.
- Cook penne for 6 minutes; drain.
- In a large bowl, toss together the cheddar, gruyere and asiago cheeses; set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a medium-size saucepan, melt unsalted butter over medium heat; whisk in flour until smooth and slightly bubbly.
- In a thin stream, whisk in the milk; stir in onion powder, salt and cayenne pepper.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in 2-1/2 cups of the cheese mixture.
- In a pasta pot, stir together the cooked penne and the cheese sauce.
- Pour half of mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle with a generous cup of the cheese.
- Spoon in the remaining penne and top with the remaining cheese sauce.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Increase the oven temperature to broil and cook another 3 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
- Cool slightly before serving.
Questions & Replies
-
Does this freeze well? If so, would I want to freeze before or after baking it? Thanks! I made a few tweaks based on what I had on hand -- mostly used cheddar, with a bit of mozzarella and parmesan. Had very little onion powder, so used what I had, plus a pinch of garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Had no cayenne. Added steamed cauliflower to the pasta, and put some bits of ricotta in the bottom layer. Tasted amazing.
Reviews
-
Delicious and easy peasy! I used a mixture of parmesan and asiago cheese, and regular swiss instead of the gruyere. I also used about 1/2 tsp of cayenne because we like spicy! I loved this mac-n-cheese and will certainly make it again! I also sprinkled a little bit of all the three cheeses on top! Made for Holiday Tag June 2011!
see 4 more reviews