Description
This creamy homemade baked mac and cheese combines tender elbow pasta with a rich, velvety cheese sauce made from cheddar and Gruyere cheeses. Baked to perfection, this comforting dish features a golden bubbly cheese topping that's perfect for family dinners and loved by both children and adults.
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. smoked paprika
- Olive oil (for drizzling on pasta to prevent sticking)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Dish: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 3 quart (9x13") baking dish and set aside.
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add dried elbow pasta and cook for 1 minute less than package instructions for al dente. Drain pasta and drizzle lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking; set aside.
- Prepare Cheeses: While water is heating, shred cheddar and Gruyere cheeses and toss together to mix evenly. Divide the shredded 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 flour and whisk to combine, resembling wet sand. Cook for approximately 1 minute, whisking frequently.
- Add Dairy: Slowly whisk in about 2 cups of the half and half until smooth. Then slowly whisk in the remaining half and half plus the whole milk until fully combined and smooth.
- Thicken Sauce: Continue cooking over medium heat, whisking often until the sauce thickens to a consistency similar to slightly thinned condensed soup.
- Add Spices and Cheese: Remove sauce from heat. Stir in salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, stirring until melted and combined. Then stir in another 1 1/2 cups of cheese until smooth and fully melted.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: In a large bowl, mix the drained pasta with the cheese sauce until fully combined.
- Layer the Dish: Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish, then sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese evenly over the pasta. Top with the remaining pasta mixture.
- Add Topping and Bake: Sprinkle the final 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and lightly golden brown.
Notes
- This baked mac and cheese is beloved by both kids and adults, making it a perfect family meal.
- Using half and half instead of just milk creates a creamier, richer cheese sauce.
- Be careful not to overcook the pasta; it should be just shy of al dente to avoid mushiness after baking.
- Drizzling pasta with olive oil after draining prevents clumping before mixing with the sauce.
- Smoked paprika adds a subtle smoky depth but can be substituted with regular paprika if unavailable.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 665 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 41 g
- Saturated Fat: 25 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 126 mg
