{Katie’s Kitchen} The BEST Baked Mac & Cheese

Brought to you by Stroup Flooring America 

I took this recipe to my family’s Easter party and everyone loved it and went back for seconds! I even doubled the recipe. Don’t be shocked at the amount of cheese that goes into this recipe…it’s totally worth it.

Start out – Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a large 3 qt or 4 qt baking dish and set aside.Combine shredded cheeses in a large bowl and set aside.

Then, cook your pasta. I used jumbo elbow noodles. Cook about one minute shy of al dente according to the package instructions. Drain, and place in a large bowl.

Drizzle pasta with olive oil and stir to coat pasta. Set aside to cool while preparing cheese sauce.

Melt butter in a deep dutch oven or pot. Then, Whisk in flour over medium heat and continue whisking for about 1 minute until bubbly and golden.  Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until nice and smooth. Continue whisking until you see bubbles on the surface and then continue cooking and whisking for another 2 minutes. Add in salt and pepper.

Now…here comes the cheese!!! Add two cups of shredded cheese and whisk until smooth. Add another two cups of shredded cheese and continue whisking until creamy and smooth. Sauce should be nice and thick.  Stir in the cooled pasta until combined and pasta is fully coated with the cheese sauce.  Pour half of the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese and then the remaining mac and cheese.

In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter and paprika. Sprinkle over the top and bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy.

note: I did substitute cheeses and used what I had in the fridge- cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack.

Ingredients: I got the recipe here