The Best Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese
- Ready In:
- 50mins
- Ingredients:
- 14
- Serves:
-
12
ingredients
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 6 tablespoons 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, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 1 1⁄2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1⁄4 teaspoon smoked paprika or 1/4 teaspoon regular paprika
directions
- Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a large 3 to 4 quart baking dish and set aside (I just use my butter wrapper). Combine shredded cheeses in a large bowl and set aside.
- Cook the pasta one minute shy of al dente according to package directions. Remove from heat, drain, and place in a large bowl.
- Drizzle pasta with olive oil and stir to coat pasta. Set aside to cool while preparing cheese sauce.
- Melt butter in a deep saucepan, dutch oven, or stock pot.
- Whisk in flour over medium heat and continue whisking for about 1 minute until bubbly and golden.
- Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until nice and smooth. Add another 2 cups of shredded cheese and continue whisking until creamy and smooth. Sauce should be nice and thick.
- Stir in cooled pasta until combined and pasta is fully coated with the cheese sauce.
- Pour half of the mac and cheese into the prepared dish. Top with remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese and then the remaining macaroni and cheese.
- 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.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
AmyZoe
Nampa, Idaho
I love to try new recipes, and this is a wonderful site to find new additions. I rarely make the same thing twice because it's so much fun to try something different. My life long dream is to travel the world and eat my way around it.