Description
This Creamy Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese is a comforting and rich dish featuring a luscious cheese sauce made from cheddar and Gruyere, baked to bubbly, golden perfection. Perfect for family dinners, it balances creamy textures with a crispy cheesy topping.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 lb. dried elbow pasta
Cheese Sauce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 1/2 cups half and half
- 4 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese (divided)
- 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (divided)
- 1/2 Tbsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. paprika
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Dish: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 3 quart baking dish (9x13 inches). Set aside for later.
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add dried pasta and cook 1 minute less than package instructions for al dente texture. Drain pasta and drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Prepare Cheese: While water is heating, shred cheddar and Gruyere cheeses and mix together. Divide the combined cheese into three portions: about 3 cups for the sauce, 1 1/2 cups for the inner layer, and 1 1/2 cups for the topping.
- Make Roux: Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously until mixture resembles wet sand, cooking about 1 minute.
- Add Liquids: Slowly whisk in about 2 cups of half and half, stirring constantly until smooth. Then gradually add the remaining half and half plus whole milk, whisking until fully combined and smooth.
- Thicken Sauce: Continue heating over medium heat, whisking frequently, until the sauce thickens to a very thick consistency, similar to a semi-thin condensed soup.
- Incorporate Cheese and Seasoning: Remove from heat. Stir in salt, black pepper, paprika, and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture until melted. Then stir in an additional 1 1/2 cups of cheese until smooth.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained pasta with the cheese sauce, stirring thoroughly to coat all pasta.
- Layer the Dish: Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the 1 1/2 cups of reserved cheese over it, then add the remaining pasta mixture on top.
- Add Topping and Bake: Sprinkle the final 1 1/2 cups of cheese over the top and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and lightly golden brown.
Notes
- This baked mac and cheese is a family favorite, loved by both children and adults.
- For best results, shred your own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded, as it melts better.
- You can substitute smoked paprika with regular paprika or cayenne for different flavor nuances.
- Using half and half contributes to the creamy texture; substituting with whole milk only will make the sauce less rich.
- Allow the dish to rest for a few minutes after baking to set before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 665 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 41 g
- Saturated Fat: 25 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 126 mg
