Baked Mac and Cheese
When it comes to Mac and Cheese, I love to stick with the classics. There is nothing better than a bubbly and cheesy Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe that comes with a buttery and crunchy bread crumb topping. I love making this Baked Mac and Cheese as a holiday side dish or even as a weeknight treat for my family. Break out your favorite baking dish and shred your cheeses because it's time to make some delicious Baked Mac and Cheese!
Ditch the boxed mac and cheese and treat yourself to a gooey and delicious homemade version with my Baked Mac and Cheese! I love making this Baked Mac and Cheese for holidays and weeknight dinners for a hearty pasta side dish. I’ve kept the flavors to a classic combination of cheddar with a little bit of Swiss cheese to boost the savory component, however you can play around with any combination of cheeses that you enjoy. I recommend any curly variety of pasta from corkscrews to shells for this dish, you just need to make sure you are using a noodle that will hold all of the cheesy goodness. The main base of this dish starts with toasting some flour in some melted butter to make a blonde roux. Your roux will act as your main thickener and will give body to your sauce. Once your roux is ready, slowly add your milk in ¼ cup at a time whisking thoroughly between additions for a silky smooth sauce. Once your milk is good and warm, add your cheeses to get the most delicious and gooey cheese sauce that will coat your noodles. Don’t forget to add the best part of this Baked Mac and Cheese, the crunchy breadcrumb topping. Simply melt a couple of tablespoons of butter in your microwave and mix in your panko breadcrumb to make your topping. Once your noodles and cheese sauce are in your baking dish, spread your bread crumbs evenly over the top and bake to a gooey, bubbly, and golden brown perfection. Speaking of perfection, this dish was the perfect hero last Thanksgiving when we had a serious mishap with our turkey! All of the Thanksgiving dinner preparations were going to plan and we had everyone chipping in to create a bountiful feast. I was in charge of making my Baked Mac and Cheese and the turkey. After almost a full day of hard work, it was just about time to dig into our feast when the most unthinkable thing happened! It turned out that some of our guests had left the door completely open when they came in, so when the turkey was resting on our counter, a pack of hungry dogs came in and devoured the entire turkey, bones and all. All that was left of our turkey was the little pop up thermometer that had sat on the floor almost mocking us of the turkey that we would not be enjoying. Once the shock wore off, we were able to see the silver lining that we had plenty of sides to enjoy our Thanksgiving dinner. We proceeded with our first ever “Sidesgiving” where we all devoured my Baked Mac and Cheese along with all the other side dishes, just like those hungry dogs devoured my poor turkey.
- 1 lb Pasta (Any curly variety will do)
- 2 1/2 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp Flour
- 2 Cups Milk (2% preferred)
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Dried Mustard Powder
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 1/2 Cups Cheddar Cheese (Freshly Grated)
- 1/2 Cups Swiss Cheese
- 1 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs
- 2 tsp Butter (Melted)
Preheat your oven to 375 and grease your baking dish with butter.
Cook your pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile prep your remaining ingredients for your Baked Mac and Cheese.
Once your Mac and Cheese ingredients are prepped, prepare your breadcrumbs by melting 2T of butter in the microwave and add the bread crumbs. Once your breadcrumbs are mixed together, set aside.
Any curly variety of pasta will do for this recipe. I like to use shapes like corkscrews (mostly because my kids like them), shells, or even elbow macaroni. Bottom line is to use anything that will hold your sauce.Once your pasta has finished cooking, drain and set aside. Add your butter to the pan and allow it to melt. Add your flour to your melted butter and toast it until golden.
Once your flour is golden, slowly wisk in your milk 1/4 cup at a time or until the milk is fully incorporated and smooth. Once all your milk is added, add your salt, pepper, mustard powder, and paprika.
Heat your milk until it is very warm, but not boiling, and begin to add your cheese a handful at a time, allowing the cheese to melt before adding more. Once your cheese is fully melted, mix together with the pasta until fully incorporated. Add your mac and cheese to your baking dish and evenly distribute your breadcrumb mixture over the top.
Get your milk hot but not boiling, you want to avoid scalding your milk.Place your Mac and Cheese into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top and bubbly. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Thank you for visiting Tall Tales from the Kitchen!