Baked Mac and Cheese

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Homemade baked mac & cheese is a dangerous dish to learn… Sure, boxed mac and cheese is good BUT it can’t hold a candle to this. This recipe gives you a chance to use some nicer cheeses and create something more personal.

The base of this dish is a classic white sauce, with lots and LOTS of cheese. The end result is a rich, cheesy pasta dish. Anybody else find this hard to resist??

What cheese should I use for my baked Mac and cheese?

I used a combination of gruyere, along with two types of cheddar. That said, you can add really any cheese you like including Monterey jack and gouda. The best cheeses are creamy, meltable and full of flavor.

OK, so this is a pretty indulgent dish; lots of cheese, a “drop” of butter, etc. However in moderation, or excess upon occasion, it’s totally fine 🙂

A Few Notes

• Use the cheeses you love!!! And it you can’t find one of my cheeses sub out for something similar. I love red cheddar but it’s not available at most markets so use regular sharp cheddar or just skip.
• Toasting breadcrumbs in butter is magic, try not to skip this step as it adds lots of crunch and flavor!
• You can make this a bit ahead of time then bake before serving.

Steps to Make This Mac & Cheese

How do you make baked Mac and cheese?

1. Add olive oil to a pot of boiling salted water and add the pasta. Cook it according to the instructions, drain and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, heat the milk in a pot making sure not to allow it to come to a boil. Melt 7 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large pot. Add the flour and whisk while it cooks on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the milk in while whisking and cook until thickened. It will take about 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and mix in the cheeses, salt, nutmeg and pepper.
4. Once it is all mixed in it should look nice and creamy!
5. Now melt one tablespoon of butter and mix it in with the breadcrumbs.
6. Add the cooked pasta to your mixture and mix well so all of the pasta is evenly coated. Transfer to a baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs and some more pecorino romano if you’d like. Bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes.

I love seeing the little specks of pepper and nutmeg dotted throughout the dish! This kind of dish won’t last long…

If you’ve tried this baked mac and cheese then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

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Baked Mac and Cheese

The basis of this dish is a classic white sauce, with lots and lots of cheese added. The end result is a rich cheesy pasta dish that's hard to resist. 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 12 Servings

Calories 461 kcal

Author John Kanell

Ingredients

• 1 pound Pasta (Conchiglie) 454g
• 1 quart milk 946mL
• 1/2 cup flour 60g
• 1 stick unsalted butter 113g
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1g
• 3/4 tbsp salt 4g, plus 1 tsp for salting the pasta water
• 3/4 tsp black pepper 4g, freshly ground
• 10 oz gruyer cheese 283g, freshly grated
• 6 oz sharp cheddar 170g, freshly grated
• 6 oz red cheddar 170g, freshly grated
• 1/3 cup pecorino romano 35g
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs 30g
• 2 tbsp olive oil 30mL, for pasta water

Instructions

1. Add olive oil to a pot of boiling salted water. Add pasta, cook according to instructions and drain.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the milk in a pot making sure not to allow it to come to a boil.

3. Melt 7 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large pot. Add the flour and whisk while it cooks on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Add the milk in while whisking and cook until thickened, 2-3 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and mix in the cheeses, salt, nutmeg and pepper.

6. Melt one tablespoon of butter and mix with the breadcrumbs.

7. Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Transfer to a baking dish or ramekins and top with the breadcrumbs and some more pecorino romano if you'd like.

8. Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

• Use the cheeses you love!!! And it you can't find one of my cheeses sub out for something similar. I love red cheddar but it's not available at most markets so use regular sharp cheddar or just skip.
• Toasting breadcrumbs in butter is magic, try not to skip this step as it adds lots of crunch and flavor!

Recipe adapted from my hero Ina Garten.

Nutrition Facts

Baked Mac and Cheese

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 461 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 13g65%

Trans Fat 0.6g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5g

Monounsaturated Fat 6.3g

Cholesterol 82mg27%

Sodium 426mg18%

Potassium 181mg5%

Carbohydrates 42g14%

Fiber 2.2g9%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 850IU17%

Calcium 310mg31%

Iron 1.8mg10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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