Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
Creamy baked mac and cheese made with three types of cheeses is perfect as a holiday side dish. It’s rich, gooey, and feeds a crowd!
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb cavatappi pasta
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 5 cups whole milk
- 5 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 3 cups shredded gruyere cheese
- 2 cups shredded gouda cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Toasted Breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Melt two tablespoons butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, stir continuously and cook until golden brown. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add 1 stick of butter. Let it melt completely then add the flour. Whisk to combine the flour with butter until completely smooth. Cook the roux for 2-3 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Slowly pour the milk into roux while continuously whisking. It will start out clumpy but continue whisking until smooth. Be sure to get the edges of the pot where the roux tends to clump up.
- Once all the milk is added, let the mixture warm up again to thicken before adding seasonings and cheese. Turn the heat to low, and slowly add cheese while continuously whisking. Add all but 2 cups of the cheese.
- Cook pasta in heavily salted water one minute less than package instructions (so if it says 7-9 minutes on the package, do 6 minutes).
- Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Mix well to coat the pasta. It will look like too much sauce for the amount of pasta, but this is what you want as the pasta will absorb sauce while baking.
- Pour half the macaroni & cheese into a 9x13 inch pan. Top with 1 cup shredded cheese, then remaining Mac & cheese. Top with remaining 1 cup shredded cheese and toasted breadcrumbs.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, then broil on high for 2 minutes (watch carefully as every broiler is different).