Description
A comforting baked mac and cheese recipe featuring tender pasta enveloped in a rich, velvety cheese sauce made with sharp cheddar and gruyere.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of elbow pasta
- ¼ cup of salted butter
- ¼ cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 and ¼ cups of half and half
- 2 cups of freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup of freshly grated gruyere cheese
- ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon of onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Boil the elbow pasta al dente according to package directions.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Stir in the flour until smooth and let it simmer for about 2 minutes.
- Gradually add the half and half and milk while whisking continuously until no lumps remain.
- Add in the onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and season with salt and pepper.
- Continue whisking for about 3 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Remove from heat and mix in the grated gruyere and cheddar cheeses until melted.
- Strain the cooked pasta and combine it with the cheese sauce until well coated.
- In a baking dish, layer half of the mac and cheese mixture, topping it with ¼ cup of gruyere and ½ cup of cheddar.
- Top with the remaining mac and cheese and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly and melty, about 15 minutes.
Notes
For a crispy topping, consider broiling the dish for the final 1-2 minutes of cooking.