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Baked Macaroni and Cheese

The wife created a shrine of pasta and encircled herself in toasted breadcrumbs so she can channel her inner southern charm and create an irresistibly cheesy and delicious baked mac and cheese. I'd say selling her soul to the comfort food gods was worth it!
Author Mrs. Los
Cost Priceless

Ingredients

  • 1 each Macaroni Elbows 16 oz box
  • 4 Tablespoons Corn Starch
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
  • 3 cups Whole Milk
  • 3 cups Heavy Cream
  • 4 Tablespoons Butter the real stuff
  • 5 cups Sargento Mild Cheddar finely shredded
  • 1 cup Sargento Sharp Cheddar finely shredded
  • 8 oz Kraft Mild Cheddar block, cubed
  • to taste Salt

Topping

  • 1 cup Sargento Mild Cheddar finely shredded
  • 2/3 cup Breadcrumbs italian seasoned
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese grated (optional)

Instructions

  • Turn on the oven to 375 and get the salted water boiling. Throw the pasta in there and cook for 6 minutes. Once it’s done, drain it as best you can and put it in a fairly big bowl. Preferably one that can double for a Halloween candy bowl. Ok, fine, just kidding.
  • In a heavy bottomed pot, put the corn starch, salt, and pepper. Turn up the heat to medium, medium-high heat, and pour in the milk and cream while stirring constantly. Like, constantly. See the post below.
  • Stir until everything is incorporated. Once it is, add the butter and keep stirring till it’s melted. Then, keep stirring till the mixture starts to boil. Once it does, let it boil for one minute (while still stirring) and then take it off the heat.
  • Go ahead and put all the shredded and cubed cheese (whatever isn't set aside for the topping) in the milk mixture and stir it around until all the cheese is melted. It won’t be perfectly smooth, and that’s ok.
  • Pour the cheese mixture into the bowl with the macaroni, and give it a really good stir until all the cheese is in there.
  • At this point, you want to taste it. She always give me this pleasure because I’m “so damn picky and can never have enough stupid salt”. Ahhh, it's like she knows me. Anyway, taste and salt. Don't be shy. You want it to be addictive like you NEED more before your head explodes from anticipation. If you're not getting that feeling, then it's too bland.
  • After you taste it, add salt, and taste it again, you’ll be ready to pan it up. So get your pan (or pans) and spray with non-stick. Pour the heavenly river of cheesy goodness in and marvel in its glory.
  • Top with the rest of the shredded cheese. And if you’re doing parmesan and breadcrumbs (which you reeeeeeally need to do), Mix them together, and then sprinkle them on top as well. Or just do it separate, who cares!
  • After that, it’s ready for the oven. So put it in for 25 minutes and do the hardest part of the whole recipe. Waiting.
  • If it’s not browned good, turn on the broiler for a minute or two till it is. DON'T WALK AWAY. The broiler is NOT your friend. It will turn on you faster than your best friend in high school with that girl that you liked.

Notes

  • Notice the name brand cheeses. No, we're not being fancy pants. Like I said, wife tried numerous times to get the recipe right, and of all the different cheeses she's tried, these turned out the best tasting, and least amount of oil from the cheese.
  • I love the parmesan and breadcrumbs on top. She adds a fraction of what I would add because “the kids don’t like it”, but I think the breadcrumbs make the topping. So it’s up to you.
  • You want to use mild cheddar as the main cheese, but don’t be afraid to use different ones in there also. Actually, yeah, be afraid. You might totally mess it up! But don't let that scare you, go ahead and be adventurous. For instance, in a batch before, she used mild, sharp, parmesan, and pepper jack. So if you have a few open bags of shredded cheeses in your fridge then now is the perfect time to put them to use. If you daaaaaaare.
  • This is a great dish right out of the oven. If you cut it up right away it’ll be melting everywhere and won’t hold it’s shape. But if you wait for a few hours after baking, or the next day even better, then it’ll hold a great shape thanks to all the cold cheese. It’s easy to reheat and will be amazing for a few days after.
  • The shape it holds makes it perfect for fried mac & cheese if you’re into that sort of thing.
  • Which you freaking should be. My goodness, fried mac & cheese? C’mon..
  • This recipe can make a nice, thick, 9×13 sized baking dish of mac & cheese. If you’d like, you can totally split it into 2 9×13 baking dishes. You know, Thanksgiving is coming up so that’ll be a good option for that.