
Made this Mac and Cheese for Thanksgiving dinner when my niece visited with her two girls. I always believe Mac and Cheese is a dish for children but surprisingly, it received lots of rave reviews from the adults. I was really too busy to savor and appreciate the dish. Made it again tonight – adult version with Toscano cheese soaked in Syrah 😛, It is indeed really good! This recipe is a keeper, but be prepared to run 5 miles after eating! It is loaded with butter, heavy cream and cheese! I already made it twice back-to-back! Will try again next Thanksgiving.
Recipe adapted from https://www.momontimeout.com/best-homemade-baked-mac-and-cheese-recipe/
Ingredients
- 1 lb macaroni or similar pasta
- 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
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded (I used Trader Joe’s Wisconsin unexpected cheddar)
- 1 cup Toscano cheese, shredded (I used Trader Joe’s Toscano cheese soaked in Syrah)
- 2 cups Gruyere cheese shredded (I used Emmi Le Gruyere Cheese, also from Trader Joes)
- 1/4 tsp salt, adjust to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper, adjust to taste
- 1 1/2 cups panko
- 4 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
- 1/4 tsp dried parsley (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Toss all shredded cheese together and set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions less a minute to make sure it is al dente. Drain and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil and set aside.
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour until bubbly.
- Add the milk and heavy cream and keep whisking until thick and creamy. Stir in the salt and pepper.
- Stir in 2 cups of cheese until blended. Add another two cups and stir until cheese is melted and mixture is thick and creamy.
- Stir in the cooled pasta until evenly coated with the cheese sauce.
- Spoon half the pasta into the baking dish. Cover with remaining shredded cheese and then top with the other half of the pasta.
- In a bowl, melt the 4 Tbsp butter and stir in the Parmesan cheese and panko until crumbly.
- Cover the top of the pasta with the panko crumbs.
- Sprinkle the smoked paprika and parley over the panko.
- Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until crust is golden brown.
- Remove and cool slightly. Serve hot.












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