Baked Mac N' Cheese
Inspiration for this dish comes from Chrissy Teigen’s recipe in her first cook book ‘Cravings’. I made her exact recipe a couple years ago and fell in LOVE. She has so many amazing recipes I highly recommend giving 1 or both of her recipe books a try. I took her recipe for ‘Chrissy’s Mac and Cheese’ and modified it to match our style a little bit, make it a litter easier to share and of course a little cheaper because let’s be honest, the fancy cheeses are way outta my league! What’s important though is it is just as tasty!
Serving Size: 8
Ingredients
3-4 Cups dried Macaroni Pasta, cooked and drained
5 Cups Milk (we use 1% and it works great)
3 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
3 Cups Shredded Mozza Cheese
1 Cup Italiano Cheese
2 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs
1 Stick + 2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
5 Tbsp. Flour
1 Tsp. Vegetable Oil
6 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 425F degrees. Once pasta is cooked and drained, toss with 1 tsp. vegetable oil to avoid sticking. In a pan, heat 2 tbsp. of butter, once melted add panko bread crumbs, minced garlic, and a pinch of salt/pepper. Mix all ingredients around ensure all bread crumbs get coasted in butter. Allow to brown, and simmer (approx. 10 minutes). Set aside.
While the bread crumbs are browning, grease a medium-large sized baking dish with a little butter. In a medium sauce pan, heat the 1 stick of butter until just melted, add the flour and whisk well. Whisk and continue to cook on medium heat for about 5-6 minutes. Gradually add the milk, raise the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat again back to medium and cook until mixture thickens. Whisking often.
Mix all 3 cheeses together in a bowl. Add the cheese (handfuls at a time) to the milk/flour mixture ensuring to save 1-2 handfuls for the end. Continue to whisk until mixture is soft. Add in salt & pepper to taste and the tsp. of cayenne pepper. Add in the macaroni noodles and mix well.
Pour mixture into greased baking pan then top with remaining cheese. Spread bread crumbs evenly on top. Bake until cheese is melted and bread crumbs are lightly browned (about 10 minutes).
