Kathy’s Vintage Modern Recipes🍕🍔🍝!!: CREAMY HOMEMADE BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Thursday, June 25, 2020

••••CREAMY HOMEMADE BAKED MAC AND CHEESE (USA)🇺🇸🍮🧈🥘🧀🍚🍞🥛!!••••

(Source: Pinterest and LinkedIn and the chunky chef.com recipe and photos and Delish video)

••••CREAMY HOMEMADE BAKED MAC AND

••••CHEESE (USA)🇺🇸!!

••••HERE’S THE VIDEO!!

••••KATHY’S TOUR OF FOOD CONTINUES IN THE

••••USA🇺🇸!!! PLESSE JOIN ME!!

Creamy Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese

This baked mac and cheese is a family favorite recipe, loved by children and adults.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese

Servings: - 10 servings

Calories: 665kcal

Author: The Chunky Chef

Ingredients

1 lb. dried elbow pasta
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 grated medium sharp cheddar cheesedivided (measured after grating)
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese divided (measured after grating)
1/2 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika

Instructions

Preheat 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 MED 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 about 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 MED 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 spices 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 cheesy is bubbly and lightly golden brown.

Notes

Mac and Cheese can be made ahead:

Make as directed (but do not bake), transfer to baking dish and cool completely. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate 1-2 days ahead.
Before baking, let dish sit on counter for 30 minutes.
Bake at recipe temperature for 25-35 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

FIVE CHEESE VARIATION:

Replace cheese amounts with the following:

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Colby cheese, shredded
1 cup Muenster cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

FOR A CRUNCHIER TOPPING AND FIRMER CONSISTENCY:

Prepare recipe as directed but bake at 350 or 375 F degrees for 20-30 minutes. Broil at the end of baking for approximately 2-5 minutes, until golden brown and crunchy.