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The BEST Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese

The BEST Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese

The BEST Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese is a creamy, cheesy delight that will satisfy your comfort food cravings.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course main dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 642 kcal

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Deep saucepan
  • baking dish

Ingredients
  

Pasta and Oil

  • 16 oz elbow macaroni, cooked (or other tubular pasta)
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Cheese Sauce

  • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 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

Topping

  • 1 ½ cups panko crumbs
  • 4 tablespoon butter, melted
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular paprika)

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a large 3 qt or 4 qt baking dish and set aside. Combine shredded cheeses in a large bowl and set aside.
  • Cook the pasta one minute shy of al dente according to the package instructions. 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.

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. Continue whisking until you see bubbles on the surface and then continue cooking and whisking for another 2 minutes. Whisk in salt and pepper.
  • Add two cups of shredded cheese and whisk until smooth. Add another two cups of shredded cheese and continue whisking until creamy and smooth. Sauce should be nice and thick.
  • Stir in the cooled pasta until combined and pasta is fully coated with the cheese sauce.
  • Pour half of the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese and then the remaining mac and cheese.

Baking

  • 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 642kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 26gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 550mgPotassium: 256mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1325IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 650mgIron: 1.4mg
Keyword Baked Mac and Cheese, cheesy pasta, Comfort Food, Homemade Mac and Cheese, Mac and Cheese
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