Baked Mac and Cheese
Three-cheese sauce coating thick-cut pasta, baked under a seasoned breadcrumb crust until bubbling and golden — proper mac and cheese, not from a box
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🛒 Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
- 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
- 4 oz cubed cream cheese
- 3 cups whole milk
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1Preheat oven to 375°F; cook pasta 2 minutes under al dente, drain
- 2Melt butter in a large saucepan; whisk in 1/4 cup flour and cook 1 minute
- 3Gradually whisk in milk over medium heat until sauce is smooth and thick, about 8 minutes
- 4Remove from heat; stir in cream cheese until melted, then add cheddar and Gruyère
- 5Season with salt, pepper, pinch of cayenne, and 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 6Fold in pasta and pour into a buttered 9×13 baking dish
- 7Toss panko with 2 tbsp melted butter and scatter over the top
- 8Bake 25–30 minutes until bubbling at the edges and topping is golden brown
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