Description
Baked mac and cheese is the version that earns its place at the holiday table and the weeknight dinner table alike. A from-scratch cheese sauce made with sharp cheddar, Gruyere, and a touch of mustard, poured over elbow macaroni and baked until the top is golden and crackling while the inside stays molten. This is not the blue box. This is the mac and cheese that makes people ask for the recipe.
Ingredients
Units
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook the macaroni in salted boiling water until 1 minute short of al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and bubbles, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the mustard powder, cayenne, and nutmeg. Add the cheddar and Gruyere a handful at a time, stirring until each addition melts completely. Season with salt and pepper.
- Fold the macaroni into the cheese sauce. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
- Toss the panko with melted butter and Parmesan. Scatter evenly over the top.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the edges are bubbly. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- The combination of sharp cheddar for flavor and Gruyere for melt creates a sauce that is both assertive and impossibly smooth.
- Undercooking the pasta by a minute is essential — it finishes in the oven and overcooked macaroni turns to mush under all that sauce.
- Dry mustard and cayenne are not there for heat — they are there to sharpen the cheese flavor and make it taste more intensely cheesy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 740
- Fat: 26
- Carbohydrates: 48
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 22
- Cholesterol: 75