Baked Mac and Cheese is comfort food at its best. The key is making a creamy roux and using both cheddar and pepper jack cheese. There is nothing better!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword baked mac and cheese
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 50 minutesminutes
Servings 8servings
Calories 520kcal
Author Sue Ringsdorf
Ingredients
1poundmacaroni noodles- any kind you prefer
1/4cupunsalted butter
1/4cupall-purpose flour
4cups1% milk- warmed
6oz.shredded pepper jack cheese
6oz.shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2teaspoonsground mustard
1teaspoonspaprika
1/2teaspoononion powder
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2cupbread crumbs- I used combo of Panko and seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large pot of boiling water, cook macaroni noodles (with a dash of salt) until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a cast iron skillet (or similar), make a roux. Turn heat to medium and melt butter. Add flour, and stir for a minute, making sure the flour is absorbed into the butter. Add warmed milk, and continue stirring for several minutes, or until sauce starts to thicken. This may take approximately 5 - 10 minutes.
Remove skillet, and add the shredded cheese, ground mustard, paprika, onion powder, and salt & pepper. Stir until cheese is melted.
Add macaroni noodles, and stir until well combined. Add bread crumbs and then drizzle the top with olive oil.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is nice and browned.
Remove from oven, sprinkle with parsley or cilantro, and serve.
Notes
The basic ratio for a classic béchamel is equal parts of fat to flour, and then milk (depending on desired consistency)
Using a cast iron skillet makes the edges slightly crunchy. But you could use any baking dish.
You can substitute the cheese for different kinds, depending on your preference.