Description
Indulge in the ultimate comfort food with this recipe for the BEST Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese. Creamy, cheesy, and topped with a crispy breadcrumb crust, this dish is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta:
- 16 oz elbow macaroni (or other tubular pasta, cooked one minute shy of al dente)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Cheese Sauce:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese (freshly shredded)
- 2 cups Gruyere cheese (freshly shredded)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Topping:
- 1½ cups panko bread crumbs
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (shredded)
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat and Prep – Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease baking dish.
- Step 2: Cook the Pasta – Boil pasta until al dente, drain, and coat with olive oil.
- Step 3: Make the Cheese Sauce – Melt butter, whisk in flour, add milk and cream, then cheese until smooth.
- Step 4: Combine – Mix pasta into cheese sauce.
- Step 5: Layer – Alternate pasta and cheese in baking dish.
- Step 6: Make the Topping – Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, butter, and paprika; sprinkle over mac and cheese.
- Step 7: Bake – Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes until bubbly and golden.
Notes
- You can customize the cheese blend to suit your taste.
- Feel free to add cooked bacon or vegetables for extra flavor.
- For a crispy topping, broil for the last few minutes of baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 22g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 105mg
Keywords: Mac and Cheese, Baked Mac and Cheese, Comfort Food, Cheese Pasta
