Such a nostalgic dish! So comforting. This is the second most requested side dish at Thanksgiving. To call it a side dish does it injustice. In my family, the main course are the side dishes. A side bonus, once it is cooled you can freeze this and enjoy it later. So make lots of it!
Pictures coming soon! 🥹
Notes:
- Buy blocks of cheddar and shred it yourself. It is fresher and melts better. It doesn’t come with the preservatives that they use to prevent clumping, and you get more than the pre-shredded bag of cheese that they sell at the store. But if you are in a pinch, I understand. I’ve been there.
Recipe: Cheesy Baked Mac and Cheese
⏱ Prep Time:
10 mins
⏳Cook Time:
35 mins
🍴Serves:
6
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 4 cups of elbow macroni
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 4 cups of whole milk
- 2 – 8oz blocks of sharp chedder cheese, shredded
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground red pepper or cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
For the topping:
- 6 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Prepare macaroni pasta el dente according to the package. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour untill incorporated. Keep whisking the flour over medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Gradually add in the milk, whisking it into the flour mixture before adding more. Cook whisking constantly for about 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove the bechamel sauce from heat.
- Stir into the sauce the cheese, salt, red & black peppers, and parmesan.
- Stir in the macroni and spoon into a casserole dish.
- Mix the melted butter with panko and spread it on top of the casserole.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbly. Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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