Description
A creamy and cheesy homemade baked mac and cheese recipe featuring a rich blend of cheddar and Gruyere cheeses, baked to bubbly perfection with a golden crust.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Pasta
- 1 lb. dried elbow pasta
Cheese
- 4 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese divided
- 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese divided
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
- 1/2 Tbsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. paprika (smoked paprika recommended)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Dish: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 3 quart (9×13″) baking dish and set aside.
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add dried elbow pasta and cook for 1 minute less than package directions for al dente. Drain and drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Prepare Cheese: While water is heating, shred cheddar and Gruyere cheeses and mix together. Divide the shredded cheese into three piles: approximately 3 cups for the sauce, 1 1/2 cups for the inner layer, and 1 1/2 cups for the topping.
- Make Roux and Sauce: Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk constantly for about 1 minute until mixture resembles wet sand. Slowly pour in about 2 cups of half and half, whisking continually until smooth. Add remaining half and half plus whole milk gradually, whisking until fully combined and smooth.
- Thicken Sauce: Continue cooking over medium heat while whisking often until sauce thickens to a consistency similar to semi-thinned condensed soup.
- Add Spices and Cheese: Remove sauce from heat. Stir in salt, black pepper, paprika, then stir in 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese until melted. Add another 1 1/2 cups of cheese and stir until smooth and fully combined.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: In a large mixing bowl, combine drained pasta and cheese sauce thoroughly.
- Layer in Baking Dish: Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese on top, then add the remaining pasta mixture over the cheese layer.
- Add Topping and Bake: Sprinkle the final 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese evenly on top. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and lightly golden brown.
Notes
- You can substitute or add seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, smoked paprika, or hot sauce to customize flavor.
- For a crunchier topping and firmer texture, bake at 350°F or 375°F for 20-30 minutes and broil for 2-5 minutes until golden and crispy.
- Make ahead by assembling the dish without baking, refrigerate up to 2 days, and bake longer (25-35 minutes) when ready.
- For freezing, assemble but do not bake, cool completely, cover tightly with foil, freeze, thaw fully in refrigerator, then bake adding 10-15 minutes to cooking time.
- Use a 16 oz block of cheddar and an 8 oz block of Gruyere for the exact cheese quantities.
- A five cheese variation includes cheddar, Colby, Muenster, Gruyere, and mozzarella replacing the original amounts.
- Half and half is a common dairy ingredient combining milk and cream, contributing to the creamy texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
