Mac & Cheese Recipe
This baked mac and cheese is bubbly, gooey, and indulgent. Learn how to recreate this satisfying comfort food entirely from your own kitchen.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried elbow macaroni pasta
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 2 ½ cups 10% (half and half) cream
- 4 cups medium sharp cheddar cheese grated and divided (measured after grating)
- 2 cups Gruyere cheese grated and divided (measured after grating)
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 3 qt baking dish (9x13"). Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When boiling, add dried pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package directs for al dente. Drain and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to keep from sticking.
- While water is coming up to a boil, grate cheeses and toss together to mix, then divide into three piles. Approximately 3 cups for the sauce, 1 1/2 cups for the inner layer, and 1 1/2 cups for the topping.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. Mixture will look like very wet sand. Cook for approximately 1 minute, whisking often.
- Slowly pour in 2 cups or so of the milk/half and half, while whisking constantly, until smooth. Slowly pour in the remaining milk/half and half, while whisking constantly, until combined and smooth.
- Continue to heat over medium heat, whisking very often, until thickened to a very thick consistency. It should almost be the consistency of a semi thinned out condensed soup.
- Remove from the heat and stir in salt, pepper, paprika and 1 1/2 cups of the cheeses, stirring to melt and combine. Stir in another 1 1/2 cups of cheese, and stir until completely melted and smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine drained pasta with cheese sauce, stirring to combine fully. Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with 1 1/2 cups of grated cheeses, then top that with the remaining pasta mixture.
- Sprinkle the top with the last 1 1/2 cups of cheese and bake for 15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and lightly golden brown.
