The Best Homemade Mac & Cheese
I’ve tried several homemade mac and cheese recipes that have cottage cheese in them and to me the finished product is somehow not very creamy but instead kind of gritty. I love this recipe so much because it’s so incredibly creamy and rich. This can be made as a main dish or as a side. You will not regret making this.
PrintThe Best Homemade Mac & Cheese
Perfectly rich and creamy Mac & Cheese
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 15 side servings 1x
Ingredients
For Macaroni-
¾ cup butter
½ cup flour
3 ½ cups milk
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp ground mustard powder
6 oz gruyere cheese, shredded (about 1.5 cups)
4 oz Gouda cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
10 oz Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2.5 cups)
½ oz parmesan cheese, shredded (about ¼ cup)
1 pound elbow macaroni
For topping-
1 oz parmesan cheese, shredded (about ¼ cup)
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup crushed Ritz crackers (or similar crackers)
¼ cup butter, melted
Instructions
For Macaroni-
Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
Bring water to a boil in a pot and cook pasta till al dente. You want the noodles to not be soft yet because they will finish cooking in the oven with the sauce so don’t overcook. Once noodles are done, drain and rinse with cold water to rinse off extra starch and prevent them from sticking together.
In a pot (you can even use the same one used for cooking the pasta) melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3-4 minutes till mixture starts to brown. Be careful not to burn.
In a separate bowl mix the milk, cream, salt, pepper, and mustard powder.
Reduce heat to medium low and slowly whisk the milk mixture into the butter and flower mixture. Whisk frequently until sauce boils.
Once sauce boils add the cheeses in, a handful at a time, letting it completely melt before adding more.
Once all the cheese is in the sauce and is melted, add the drained noodles and mix gently till all incorporated.
Pour evenly into a casserole dish.
For topping-
Top with the shredded cheese as part of the topping section of ingredients.
In a small mixing bowl pour the bread crumbs and cracker crumb and mix till combined. Pour melted butter into the crumbs and stir till evenly coated.
Sprinkle crumb mixture over the cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy as a side or a main.
Keywords: Mac & Cheese
