Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

5 from 1 vote

This one is a new addition to my Thanksgiving menu! But I feel like Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese is just the right thing to do. It’s an EXCELLENT vegetarian option if you have guests coming that don’t like turkey. And kids and adults will love every aspects of this mac and cheese.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Main Course, Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

6 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup breadcrumbs homemade preferred
5 cups milk
½ cup AP flour
2 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
1 ½ cup shredded Gruyère
½ cup shredded Swiss Cheese
1 pound short cut pasta

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Spray a large casserole dish with non stick spray and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, warm the milk over medium heat.
In a large skillet, melt the butter. Once the butter has melted and starts to bubble, ad the flour and whisk until the flour is fully incorporated.
Continue to whisk and add the hot milk slowly. Whisk for about 1o minutes until the milk and flour mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and add the salt, nutmeg, pepper, cayenne, white cheddar, Gruyère, and Swiss cheese. Stir to combine until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
Boil a large pot of water. Cook the short cut pasta 1 minute short according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and then rinse with cold water. Stir the pasta into the cheese mixture and then pour the pasta into the prepared casserole dish.
Sprinkle the top with the homemade breadcrumbs and bake for about 25-30 minutes until the edges just begin to brown. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

The only key here is to use cheese that melt really easily. You can change up the flavor profile quite easily by using any combination of: Parmesan, Cheddar, Pepperjack, Gouda, Fontina, Gruyere, Goat Cheese, or Brie. I always find it’s best to use 2-3 different kinds of cheese to really give it a great deep flavor.

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