Baked Mac & Cheese
Directions
- 1Preheat your oven.
- 2Mix all of your spices (garlic powder, onion powder, chicken bouillon powder, smoked paprika, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper) together in a small bowl and set it aside.
- 3Grate all of your cheeses (smoked or regular Gouda, Monterey or Colby Jack, mozzarella, and sharp white cheddar) and set them aside.
- 4In a large pot, melt the butter.
- 5Add in half of the seasoning mixture.
- 6Add in the minced garlic and cook for about a minute until fragrant.
- 7Make a roux by mixing in the flour a little bit at a time.
- 8Slowly add in the evaporated milk and heavy cream to the pot.
- 9Continue to cook until the mixture is thick.
- 10Add in the remaining seasonings: salt, ground pepper, and Dijon mustard.
- 11Stir in the cream cheese.
- 12Add only half of the freshly grated cheeses.
- 13Keep stirring everything together until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth and thick.
- 14Add in your cooked al dente noodles into the cheese sauce and mix everything together.
- 15Pour half of the pasta into your casserole dish.
- 16Layer in the remaining half of the grated cheeses.
- 17Top it off with the rest of the pasta.
- 18Sprinkle the rest of the cheeses right on top.
- 19Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes.
- 20Broil for the last 5 minutes to get a golden crust.
Ingredients
- 1 lb corkscrew or shell pasta
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp flour
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- 0.5 cup half and half
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tbsp cream cheese, softened
- 0.5 lb smoked or regular Gouda, freshly shredded
- 0.5 lb Monterey or Colby Jack, freshly shredded
- 1 lb mozzarella, freshly shredded
- 7 oz sharp white cheddar, freshly shredded
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 0.5 tbsp dijon mustard
- Salt
- pepper
Equipment
small bowlgraterlarge potwhiskspatulacasserole dishoven
Tips
- For the cheese, grating them fresh will yield a better result.
- You can use soy sauce instead of Dijon mustard for an umami taste.
Related recipes
One-pot creamy Cajun salmon pasta
American · Dinner30m
Stick of Butter Chicken and Rice
American · Dinner1h 5m
Slow Cooker Tax Day Ribs
American · Dinner
Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs
American · Dinner
Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
American · Dinner
Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken Tenders
American · Dinner
Marinated Steak
American · Dinner
One-pan creamy four-cheese chicken and rice
American · Dinner40m
Stick of Butter Chicken & Rice
American · Dinner1h
Chuck Roast Sandwiches
American · Dinner
One Pan Cheesy Beef and Broccoli Ditalini
American · Dinner
Baked Chicken
American · Dinner