Description
Indulge in the ultimate comfort food with this creamy baked mac and cheese recipe. Rich, cheesy, and satisfying, it’s the perfect dish for cozy family dinners or potlucks.
Ingredients
Scale
Mac and Cheese:
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Topping:
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Garnish:
- Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook macaroni: Cook macaroni until al dente, drain, and set aside.
- Make cheese sauce: Melt butter, whisk in flour, add milk and cream, season, and melt cheeses. Combine with macaroni.
- Prepare topping: Mix panko breadcrumbs with melted butter.
- Bake: Sprinkle topping over mac and cheese, bake for 20–25 minutes until golden.
- Rest and serve: Let cool for 5 minutes, garnish with parsley, and serve.
Notes
- Enhance with bacon or caramelized onions.
- Experiment with cheese blends like Gruyère or fontina.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course, Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 490
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 410mg
- Fat: 29g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 19g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
