# Baked Mac & Cheese

A creamy, gooey, and saucy baked mac and cheese recipe perfect for any occasion.

- Total time: 35 min
- Cuisine: American
- Category: Dinner
- Language: en

## 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

## Instructions

1. Preheat your oven.
2. Mix 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.
3. Grate all of your cheeses (smoked or regular Gouda, Monterey or Colby Jack, mozzarella, and sharp white cheddar) and set them aside.
4. In a large pot, melt the butter.
5. Add in half of the seasoning mixture.
6. Add in the minced garlic and cook for about a minute until fragrant.
7. Make a roux by mixing in the flour a little bit at a time.
8. Slowly add in the evaporated milk and heavy cream to the pot.
9. Continue to cook until the mixture is thick.
10. Add in the remaining seasonings: salt, ground pepper, and Dijon mustard.
11. Stir in the cream cheese.
12. Add only half of the freshly grated cheeses.
13. Keep stirring everything together until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth and thick.
14. Add in your cooked al dente noodles into the cheese sauce and mix everything together.
15. Pour half of the pasta into your casserole dish.
16. Layer in the remaining half of the grated cheeses.
17. Top it off with the rest of the pasta.
18. Sprinkle the rest of the cheeses right on top.
19. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes.
20. Broil for the last 5 minutes to get a golden crust.

## Equipment

- small bowl
- grater
- large pot
- whisk
- spatula
- casserole dish
- oven

## 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.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQuWIcSkfaA/?igsh=aHRiNnR6bzh5dmI=
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/8fdc1cd3-5415-4ed7-a387-2c1af8864d0f
- Extracted: 2025-11-07

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt