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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
- 16 oz elbow macaroni, cooked (or other tubular pasta)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cups Gruyere cheese shredded
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups panko crumbs
- 4 tbsp butter melted
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
This past weekend we had a wedding in Jacksonville, FL and we had so much fun!
It was right before we left that I teared up a little. I don’t even know why. I think it was a little anxiety, that I wouldn’t be close to her, or that she would miss me and wonder where we were, or maybe that she would do something cute or new and I would miss it. So I kissed her 100 times and then Tim pushed me out the door and reminded me that she would be fine.
I’m so glad we went. I know I said a couple times that I wasn’t sure if I was ready to leave her for an entire weekend yet, but I think it was the right time.