Description
Creamy Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese is a comforting classic dish featuring tender elbow pasta enveloped in a rich, velvety cheese sauce made from cheddar and Gruyere cheeses, baked to bubbly, golden perfection. This recipe uses a creamy sauce base with half and half and whole milk, delivering a luscious texture loved by both children and adults.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 lb. dried elbow pasta
Sauce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 1/2 cups half and half
Cheeses
- 4 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese (divided)
- 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (divided)
Seasonings
- 1/2 Tbsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. paprika (smoked paprika is preferred)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare dish: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 3 quart (9x13") baking dish. Set aside for later.
- Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the dried elbow pasta and cook for 1 minute less than package instructions for al dente. Drain the pasta and drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Shred and divide cheese: While the water is heating, shred the cheddar and Gruyere cheeses and mix together. Divide the shredded cheese into three portions: about 3 cups for the sauce, 1 1/2 cups for the inner cheese layer, and 1 1/2 cups for the topping.
- Make roux: Melt the unsalted butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously until the mixture resembles very wet sand, cooking for about 1 minute.
- Add dairy: Slowly whisk in about 2 cups of the half and half until smooth. Continue whisking in the remaining half and half plus the whole milk until fully combined and smooth.
- Thicken sauce: Keep heating over medium heat, whisking frequently until the sauce thickens to a consistency similar to semi-thinned condensed soup.
- Add seasonings and cheese: Remove the sauce from heat. Stir in the salt, black pepper, paprika, and 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth. Then stir in another 1 1/2 cups of cheese until fully incorporated.
- Combine pasta and sauce: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta with the cheese sauce, mixing thoroughly.
- Layer in baking dish: Pour half of the pasta and cheese mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese evenly over this layer. Then pour the remaining pasta mixture on top.
- Add final cheese topping and bake: Sprinkle the top with the last 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly golden brown.
Notes
- This mac and cheese is a beloved family favorite perfect for children and adults alike.
- For a smoky flavor, use smoked paprika instead of regular paprika.
- Shredding your own cheese melts better and provides a creamier texture compared to pre-shredded varieties.
- Drizzling olive oil over the drained pasta prevents sticking before combining with the cheese sauce.
- You can substitute half and half with whole milk and heavy cream if half and half is unavailable.
- Use a 3 quart or 9x13" baking dish for best layering and baking results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 665 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 41 g
- Saturated Fat: 25 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 126 mg
