Homemade Mac & Cheese

I’m convinced that pasta is my love language. Just the thought of bonding over a plate of delicious noodles drenched in drool worthy sauce or engulfed in the most perfect combination of cheeses gets me excited. So, when James asked me if I could help him make homemade mac & cheese for a friend’s BBQ I couldn’t wait!

I proceeded to go down the rabbit hole of “the very best mac & cheese” recipes on Pinterest. I landed on one from Mom on Timeout. It looked both delicious and achievable all within a reasonable amount of time plus, breadcrumbs!

The first time I made this recipe it was good but not as cheesy as James and I were hoping so when it was time for round two we knew exactly what to do! If you’re a lover of extra cheesy mac & cheese then I’d recommend following the recipe below. If you like your mac & cheese on the lighter cheese side then I’d follow Mom on Timeout’s recipe originally.

One tip I did find really helpful from Mom on Timeout was the recommendation to grate your own cheese. We did a combination of freshly grated cheese and pre-shredded cheese to make it a bit easier on ourselves. And yes! You can use whatever cheese combination that you’d like, you don’t have to stick to the combination I used below. Now get to grating!

Ingredients

  • 16 oz elbow macaroni, cooked (or other tubular pasta) - P.S. It’s just 1 box :-)

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter

  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour

  • 3 cups whole milk

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

  • 6 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded

  • 4 cups Gruyere cheese shredded

  • salt and pepper to taste

  • 1/2 cups panko crumbs (I paired back a bit on this. The crunch is delish but the extra cup was a bit much or me)

  • 4 tbsp butter melted

  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded

  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a large 3 qt or 4 qt baking dish and set aside. Combine shredded cheeses in a large bowl and set aside.

  • Cook the pasta one minute shy of al dente according to the package instructions. Remove from heat, drain, and place in a large bowl.

  • Drizzle pasta with olive oil and stir to coat pasta. Set aside to cool while preparing cheese sauce.

  • Melt butter in a dutch oven or stock pot.

  • Whisk in flour over medium heat and continue whisking for about 1 minute until bubbly and golden.

  • Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until nice and smooth. Continue whisking until you see bubbles on the surface and then continue cooking and whisking for another 2 minutes. Whisk in salt and pepper.

  • Add two cups of shredded cheese and whisk until smooth. Add another two cups of shredded cheese and continue whisking until creamy and smooth. Sauce should be nice and thick.

  • Stir in the cooled pasta until combined and pasta is fully coated with the cheese sauce.

  • Pour half of the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese and then the remaining mac and cheese.

  • In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter and paprika. Sprinkle over the top and bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately… or not and heat it up later - it' tastes delicious either way!

Thank you Mom on Timeout for the great recipe! Looking forward to making it again. Tag me in your photos using the hashtag #EnamoredEats when making your own mac & cheese creations!

Pasta, CheeseHannah FlatteryFood, Pasta, Cheese, Mac and Cheese, Sides