Mac too Cheese Casserole is a quintessential Thanksgiving side dish that’s always 1 of the best parts of the plate! Creamy Mac and Cheese is baked to perfection under a layer of crunchy, buttery Panko topping and is made rich amongst three dissimilar cheeses.
What’second inwards this Mac as well as Cheese Casserole Recipe?
Everyone has their family unit favorite Mac in addition to Cheese recipe, but this 1 might be even meliorate than your grandma’second! Sharp cheddar, gruyere, together with parmesan brand this Mac too Cheese casserole supremely cheesy. What’s fifty-fifty better is the whole milk as well as heavy cream that work inward tandem to go far decadently rich too creamy!
- Pasta: Elbow macaroni is classic, just you tin can function whatever subway system-shaped pasta, like penne, ziti, etc. Shells would operate besides!
- Butter: Mixes alongside the flour to create a roux, thickening the sauce. Melted butter helps course the breadcrumb topping.
- Garlic: Pairs well amongst the cheeses.
- Flour: Mixes amongst the butter to create a roux, thickening the sauce.
- Milk: Forms the base of the cheese sauce.
- Cream: Adds creaminess to the cheese sauce.
- Spices: Mustard pulverization, salt, pepper, as well as paprika are classic mac too cheese spices.
- Cheese: A blend of precipitous cheddar, Parmesan, as well as Gruyere makes for a more complex mac in addition to cheese.
- Breadcrumbs: Form the crunchy topping. I similar Panko, just you tin function whatever breadcrumbs you lot like.
Pro Tip: Generously common salt your pasta H2O; it adds a lot of season.
Variations on Macaroni in addition to Cheese Casserole
This mac together with cheese casserole is peachy as is, merely yous tin can spice it upwardly past adding crumbled cooked bacon, sausage, or ham; shredded chicken; broccoli florets; diced peppers in addition to onions; Buffalo sauce or sriracha; canned beans together with salsa; canned tuna; or chili.
Cheddar is classic. I dear the blend of abrupt cheddar, Parmesan, too Gruyere. It’s a neat mix of classic mac and cheese flavour alongside extra saltiness, nuttiness, in addition to only a bit of earthiness. You tin switch it upward past using a milder cheddar or white cheddar, gouda, fontina, and/or Monterey jack.
Absolutely! You tin use any brusk-shaped pasta, like penne, ziti, shells, or rotini!
Yes! Rinsing the pasta volition withdraw whatsoever excess starch, which could crusade your sauce to live besides thick! I similar using a roux to control the thickness of my sauce, and extra pasta starch makes it harder to control the thickness. Rinsing inward common cold H2O as well stops the pasta from overcooking!
While yous certainly can function pre-shredded cheese, I don’t recommend it. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated inward starch to keep them from sticking, just that as well makes them more than difficult to melt, as well as the starch tin can bear upon the consistency of the sauce. Furthermore, fresh cheeses simply taste meliorate.
The mixture shouldn’t be completely firm, merely it also shouldn’t live overly watery. Take a await at the pace-by-step photos for a practiced idea of what the consistency should live.
How to Make Ahead together with Store
This mac together with cheese casserole tin live prepared (merely not baked) upwards to ii days inward advance of when you lot plan to serve it. Cover the unbaked casserole tightly alongside aluminum foil and shop it in the refrigerator. When prepare to bake, permit the casserole sit out at room temperature for thirty minutes, and so bake as directed.
Store leftover mac as well as cheese casserole inward an airtight container inward the fridge for upward to 4 days.
How to Freeze in addition to Reheat
Freeze mac too cheese casserole whole or inward individual portions inwards airtight containers for upwards to iii months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge earlier reheating covered alongside aluminum foil inwards a 350°F oven for 20 minutes, then take the foil too bake for another ten minutes, until hot in addition to bubbly.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this delicious mac n cheese casserole alongside vacation classics, similar Thanksgiving turkey, Easter ham, or Christmas beef tenderloin!
It’second likewise bang-up alongside weeknight standards, such equally baked Caesar chicken, ham and cheese sliders, or bacon BBQ meatloaf.
Recipe
Mac as well as Cheese Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- i pound dry elbow macaroni 1 packet
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter ¾ stick
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ loving cup all-use flour
- three cups whole milk room temperature
- ane loving cup heavy cream room temperature
- ½ teaspoon dry out mustard pulverization
- 3 cups freshly shredded precipitous cheddar cheese
- 2 cups freshly shredded Gruyere cheese
- ½ loving cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
- Kosher common salt together with freshly earth black pepper to gustatory modality
For the Topping
- one½ cups Panko breadcrumbs
- four tablespoons unsalted butter ½ stick, melted
- ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
- Chopped fresh parsley optional, for garnish
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a ix×13-inch baking pan amongst butter or nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Drain in addition to rinse under common cold water to cool completely. Set aside.1 pound dry elbow macaroni
- In a big pot or Dutch Oven, over medium oestrus, melt the butter. Add in the garlic as well as prepare until fragrant, most xxx-threescore seconds.half dozen tablespoons unsalted butter, ii cloves garlic
- Whisk inwards the flour too prepare for one-2 minutes.⅓ loving cup all-use flour
- Slowly whisk inwards the milk, and then add in the cream, mustard pulverisation, too convey to a simmer. Cook until, stirring ofttimes, until the mixture has thickened.3 cups whole milk, i loving cup heavy cream, ½ teaspoon dry out mustard powder
- Turn off the rut in addition to stir in the cheeses until melted. Add inwards the pasta together with toss until well coated inwards the sauce. Taste and season amongst salt as well as pepper every bit needed.3 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ii cups freshly shredded Gruyere cheese, ½ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, Kosher table salt in addition to freshly ground dark pepper
- Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the Panko, melted butter, as well as paprika. Sprinkle evenly over the mac in addition to cheese.1½ cups Panko breadcrumbs, four tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon earth paprika
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly in addition to the summit is gold brown.
- Let the casserole cool in the baking dish for 10 minutes. Garnish alongside parsley too savour!Chopped fresh parsley
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Becky’second tips
- Generously table salt your pasta H2O; it adds a lot of flavour.
- Cook the pasta al dente; the pasta will go on to make inward the casserole.
- Rinse the pasta thoroughly to withdraw excess starch too prevent the pasta from overcooking.
- Use room temperature milk together with cream to forestall curdling.
- Shred the cheese by hand if possible for the best flavour in addition to texture.
- Feel gratis to substitute crumbled Ritz crackers or Italian breadcrumbs inward home of the Panko.
- If you lot’d prefer, yous tin can elevation this casserole alongside some other cup of cheddar cheese instead of breadcrumbs before baking.
- At the end of baking, broil the casserole for a few minutes for an extra crispy crust.
- Let the casserole remainder for ten minutes earlier serving to pass it fourth dimension to prepare.
Storage: Store mac and cheese casserole inwards an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to iv days or inwards the freezer for upward to iii months.
Nutrition Information
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