Baked Mac and Cheese
With 3 types of cheese and a crispy breadcrumb topping, this Baked Mac and Cheese is a guaranteed family favorite! The perfect side for everything from chicken nuggets to steak and it's ready in under 30 minutes.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 534kcal
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups half & half
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1¾ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a medium casserole dish with nonstick spray; set aside.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions for “al dente”, this should take about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain, place back in the pot, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil, butter, and flour in a large skillet until the butter has melted. Whisk the mixture over medium low heat for 3 minutes.
- Whisk in the half & half and bring to a simmer.
- Whisk in the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses as well as the salt, garlic powder, cayenne, and black pepper until the cheese is melted and the mixture is thick and gooey.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and stir until fully coated then transfer into the prepared casserole dish.
- In a small skillet, melt the salted butter and add in the Panko breadcrumbs and toast over medium heat until they begin to brown. Optional: Mix in 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese right at the end of toasting.
- Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the macaroni and cheese and bake for 10 minutes.
Notes
This can be left as a stovetop mac and cheese, simply omit the bread crumb topping ingredients and the baking step.
Nutrition
Calories: 534kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 890mg | Potassium: 243mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 740IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 348mg | Iron: 1mg