Quick N Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipe
Quick N Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese of Your Life. This mac and cheese dish is incredibly cheesy, extremely creamy, and topped with a crispy Panko-Parmesan topping. To elevate this macaroni and cheese recipe, I combined three different cheeses and developed my own cheese sauce.
Mac and cheese is a recipe that can be prepared in a variety of ways. I enjoy it in any form I can get it, but baked mac and cheese is my absolute favorite, and I’ll explain why… The topping. I occasionally add breadcrumbs as a topping, but Panko-topped mac and cheese is far better.
I combine Parmesan, butter, and paprika with the Panko to make it crisp up wonderfully and turn a nice golden brown hue when this amazing homemade mac and cheese is baked.
Prep Time: 20minutes
Cook Time: 30minutes
Total Time: 1hour
Servings: 12
INGREDIENTS FOR Quick N Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipe
- 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)
INSTRUCTIONS FOR Quick N Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a big 3 or 4 quart baking dish and lay aside.Set aside shredded cheeses in a large basin.
- Cook the pasta for one minute less than al dente, according to the package directions.
- Remove from the heat, drain, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Drizzle the spaghetti with olive oil and swirl to coat it. Set aside to chill while making the cheese sauce.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan, dutch oven, or stock pot.
- Over medium heat, mix in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, or until bubbling and golden.
- Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until completely smooth.
- Continue whisking until bubbles appear on the surface, then continue cooking and stirring for another minute. Whisk in salt and pepper.
- Whisk in two cups of shredded cheese until smooth. Add another two cups of shredded cheese and continue whisking until creamy and smooth. The sauce should be rich and thick.
- Stir in the chilled pasta until it is completely coated with the cheese sauce.
- Pour half of the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese, followed by the remaining macaroni and cheese.
- Combine panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter, and paprika in a small mixing basin.
- Sprinkle over the top and bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbling and golden brown. Serve immediately.
Nutritional Info:
Calories: 642kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 550mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1325IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 650mg | Iron: 1.4mg
I’m not sure why but this site is loading very slow for me.
Is anyone else having this problem or is it a issue on my end?
I’ll check back later and see if the problem still exists.
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