The BEST Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe

The Best Homemade Mac and Cheese foodiecrush.com

The BEST Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe

This baked mac and cheese features a dreamy combination of creamy gouda and havarti cheese for a silky homemade cheese sauce that tastes SO MUCH BETTER than the boxed kind.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword best baked mac and cheese

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 462.63kcal

Ingredients

7 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons dry mustard
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
3 cups shredded havarti cheese , (approx. 10 ounces total)
3 cups shredded gouda cheese , (approx. 10 ounces total)
1 pound elbow macaroni or any short pasta noodle
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon white ground pepper
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped parsley , optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Make the roux. In a deep bottom saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add mustard and flour. Whisk briskly for about 2 minutes to cook the flour. Pour in milk, whisking continuously to prevent any lumps. Keep whisking until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Finish the cheese sauce. Stir in cheese until smooth and add salt and pepper to taste.
Boil the pasta until just al dente. Drain the water and pour the pasta into the pot with the cheese sauce.
Assemble. Transfer the mixture to a 9 X 13-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs. Cover with foil.
Bake. Place mac and cheese in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and return the mac and cheese to the oven to continue baking for 10-15 minutes, or until the top is bubbling and golden brown. Top with chopped parsley if desired.

Notes

When cooking your pasta, be sure to cook it just until al denté. When it's baked in the oven, the macaroni will continue to cook and you don't want to end up with mush.

Nutrition