Can you think of anything better than a Homestyle Baked Mac & Cheese? I’ll bet your answer is no, and I agree.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 to 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yields: 6 to 8 servings
Equipment: 1 (9 x 13-inch) baking dish, 2 (6-quart) saucepots, whisk, Microplane, mini food processor, chef’s knife, cutting board
Ingredients:
1 pound of Cavatappi (or elbow macaroni)
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
14 tablespoons of butter, unsalted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12-ounces (4 cups) Gruyère cheese, freshly-grated
8 ounces (2 cups) white cheddar, freshly-grated
4 ounces Mascarpone, room temperature
1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly-ground
1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shredded for garnish on top (use Microplane)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper, freshly-ground
1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon sweet Paprika (substitute smoked paprika)
1/2 cup of Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (reserve 1/4 cup for breadcrumbs)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni, and cook according to the instructions on the box for 6 to 8 minutes, and drain well.
At the same time, heat the milk and heavy cream in a small saucepan, but do not boil. Melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) in a large (6-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes while whisking, until it’s light blond. Whisk in the hot milk and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add the Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and grated nutmeg, and continue whisking until the sauce thickens and becomes smooth.
Off the heat, switch to a wooden spoon, add the Mascarpone first, and stir to combine. Next, add the grated Gruyére, white Cheddar, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and again stir to combine. Add the cooked macaroni and 1/4 cup of Italian flat-leaf parsley, and mix to combine. Pour into a 9 x 13 buttered baking dish.
Topping for the Homestyle Baked Mac & Cheese:
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large sauté pan. Add the Panko breadcrumbs, Paprika, remaining Italian flat-leaf parsley, and toss to coat. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs all over the top of the casserole. *Dot the top with the remaining butter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on top. Sprinkle extra-finely shredded Parmesan cheese and Italian flat-leaf parsley over the top while hot. Serve hot.
There you have it, my Homestyle Baked Mac & Cheese.
Note:
1) *Dot: To scatter bits of butter over food.
2) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.
Homestyle Baked Mac & Cheese
Equipment
- 1 baking dish 9x13-inch
- 2 saucepots 6-quart
- 1 whisk
- 1 Microplane
- 1 mini food processor
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 pound Cavatappi Substitute elbow macaroni
- 3 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 14 tbsps butter Unsalted
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups Gruyère cheese Freshly-grated (12 ounces)
- 2 cups white cheddar Freshly-grated (8 ounces)
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese Room temperature
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Freshly-ground
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Shredded for the garnish on top (use Microplane)
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg Freshly-grated
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper Freshly-ground
- 1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley Finely chopped (reserve 1/4 cup for breadcrumbs)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni, and cook according to the instructions on the box for 6 to 8 minutes, and drain well.At the same time, heat the milk and heavy cream in a small saucepan, but do not boil. Melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) in a large (6-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes while whisking, until it's light blond. Whisk in the hot milk and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add the Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and grated nutmeg, and continue whisking until the sauce thickens and becomes smooth.Off the heat, switch to a wooden spoon, add the Mascarpone first, and stir to combine. Next, add the grated Gruyére, white Cheddar, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and again stir to combine. Add the cooked macaroni and 1/4 cup of Italian flat-leaf parsley, and mix to combine. Pour into a 9 x 13 buttered baking dish.Topping:Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large sauté pan. Add the Panko breadcrumbs, Paprika, remaining Italian flat-leaf parsley, and toss to coat. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs all over the top of the casserole. *Dot the top with the remaining butter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on top. Sprinkle extra-finely shredded Parmesan cheese and Italian flat-leaf parsley over the top while hot. Serve hot.There you have it, my Homestyle Baked Mac & Cheese.
Notes
1) *Dot: To scatter bits of butter over food.
2) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/03/12/meatloaf-with-sundried-tomatoes/
