Life is too short for sad sides, which is why you definitely need to bookmark this recipe for Baked Macaroni and Cheese! With a sublimely creamy sauce and a delightfully crisp bread crumb topping, this make-ahead mac and cheese is a shoo-in for every meal from Easter and the 4th of July to Thanksgiving and Christmas (and everything in between!).
Preheat the oven to 375°F Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook according to package instructions but about 1 minute less than the full cook time so it’s al dente. Drain well. Place in a large mixing bowl. You can drizzle the pasta with a bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking if desired.
While the pasta is cooking, melt ½ cup of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk while it cooks until nutty in smell, about 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk and cream in while whisking and cook until it bubbles and thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Reserve 1/2 cup of each cheese for the topping. Stir in the remaining cheese, salt, and pepper. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir until the pasta is well coated.
Grease a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray and pour the pasta and sauce into the prepared dish.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the breadcrumbs. Cook while stirring until the breadcrumbs are light golden brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste if desired.
Sprinkle the top of the pasta with the reserved cheddar and gruyere cheese and top with the toasted breadcrumbs.
Bake for 35 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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Notes
Shred Your Own Cheese – While pre-shredded cheese seems like a great time-saver, resist the temptation! To keep those individual shreds from glomming together into a cheesy mass in the bag, manufacturers dust them with a starchy coating that prevents them from melting properly.
Salt Your Pasta Water! (And save some, too.) You only get one shot to season the actual noodles, so don’t miss your chance. Oh, and do yourself a favor and don’t toss all that starchy goodness down the drain! I like to keep a tupperware of pasta water on hand to help revive my sauces whenever I reheat leftovers. It’s also great for helping to add some seasoned thickening power to stews and soups, or for making bread.
Slightly Undercook The Pasta. I suggest you read the package instructions for your noodles and spot the minimum cook time. Drain your pasta about 1 minute before the allotted time; this will ensure the noodles stay perfectly al dente after baking.
Feel Free To Spice It Up. Try adding a few shakes of garlic powder to the cheese sauce for some mild allium sweetness, or a few rasps of nutmeg to dress it up for sweater season.