Macaroni and cheese is one of those guilty “cheat day” sort of foods that I don’t make all the time, but occasionally is just what I’m wanting. Now there are a million variations on Mac & Cheese and people argue over which is best. In my book there are only 3 main categories of mac and cheese.
- Block
- Gooey
- Boxed style
Block style mac & cheese is the kind when you cut it, it comes out in blocks. You can literally make cubes out of it. The second is gooey style. Mac and cheese of this variety needs to be scooped out and individual noodles remain free of each other, each coated in a glorious amount of cheese sauce. The last is boxed style like the classic Kraft or Aunties.
This recipe makes for a lovely gooey style mac and cheese that is amazing comfort food. Yes, it takes a little longer than whipping up a box of Kraft, but you also get a whole pan of it.
Thoughts On What Cheese To Use
When is comes to cheese, the first thing you need to know is to never use pre-shredded cheese. I mean you can if you are absolutely desperate, but that cheese comes coated in powder to keep it from sticking together. At best that this potato starch, at worst it is wood pulp, and no, they don’t have to disclose that on the package.
Aside from not wanting chemically treated wood pulp in my food, it will make your cheese not melt right and will give your sauce a little less creamy of a feel. So do the extra 2 minutes of work and break out the box grater and go wild on some blocks of cheese. Just watch your knuckles.
Why Cheddar and Gruyere?
You might find yourself asking “why cheddar and gruyere?” The answer is that they both bring something special to the party. Cheddar provides that familiar sharp, tangy, and slightly acidic flavor that we associate with traditional mac and cheese. Gruyère, on the other hand, brings a nutty, earthy, and subtly sweet taste. The blend creates a more complex and interesting flavor profile than using either cheese alone.
In addition to this, both melt slightly differently. Cheddar melts smoothly and creates a creamy sauce, while Gruyère melts into a more luxurious, almost velvety texture. The combination results in a wonderfully smooth and cheesy sauce.
Cheddar can sometimes become slightly grainy when melted, especially if overcooked. Gruyère’s smooth melting properties help to prevent this, ensuring a creamy and consistent texture throughout the mac and cheese.
If you really want to take your mac & cheese up a notch, consider using smoked gruyere. It adds a level of flavor that can only be beat by making actual smoked mac and cheese.
What About Other Cheeses?
While cheddar and gruyere are the standard, you can mix just about any cheeses you want together as long as most of them are of the ‘melty’ type. This is a great way to use up those bits of cheese that have been sitting in the fridge and you are afraid are going to go bad on you.
If you want some official instructions, here is a 5-cheese variation you might like.
FIVE CHEESE VARIATION:
Replace cheese amounts with the following:
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Colby cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Muenster cheese, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Making This Recipe On The Stovetop
If you don’t want to break out the casserole dish to make this recipe, you can absolutely make it stove-top style, but you won’t get that awesome carmelized cheese crust on top. Plus you will need a big pot.
You make this recipe the same as you other would, but cook your noodles a little less. Then when it comes time to assemble everything, you just mix it all back into your pot and put it over low heat, stirring frequently until everything is combined and hot.
Creamy Homemade Baked Mac & Cheese
Creamy homemade baked mac and cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dried elbow pasta
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 1/2 cups half and half
- 4 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese divided
- 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese divided
- 1/2 Tbsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 3 qt baking dish (9×13"). Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When boiling, add dried pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package directs for al dente. Drain and rinse to stop it from cooking more.
- While water is coming up to a boil, shred cheeses and toss together to mix, then divide into three piles. Approximately 3 cups for the sauce, 1 1/2 cups for the inner layer, and 1 1/2 cups for the topping.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over MED heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. Mixture will look like very wet sand. Cook for approximately 1 minute, whisking often. Slowly pour in about 2 cups or so of the half and half, while whisking constantly, until smooth. Slowly pour in the remaining half and half plus the whole milk, while whisking constantly, until combined and smooth.
- Continue to heat over MED heat, whisking very often, until thickened to a very thick consistency. It should almost be the consistency of a semi thinned out condensed soup.
- Remove from the heat and stir in spices and 1 1/2 cups of the cheeses, stirring to melt and combine. Stir in another 1 1/2 cups of cheese, and stir until completely melted and smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine drained pasta with cheese sauce, stirring to combine fully. Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheeses, then top that with the remaining pasta mixture.
- Sprinkle the top with the last 1 1/2 cups of cheese and bake for 15 minutes, until cheesy is bubbly.
- Once the cheese is bubbly, flip your oven onto broil and let the cheese on top get crusty.
- Remove from the oven and let cool a couple of minutes, then serve.
Notes
Mac and Cheese can be made ahead:
- Make as directed (but do not bake), transfer to baking dish and cool completely. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate 1-2 days ahead.
- Before baking, let dish sit on counter for 30 minutes.
- Bake at recipe temperature for 25-35 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
FOR A CRUNCHIER TOPPING AND FIRMER CONSISTENCY:
- Prepare recipe as directed but bake at 350 or 375 F degrees for 20-30 minutes. Broil at the end of baking for approximately 2-5 minutes, until golden brown and crunchy.
FIVE CHEESE VARIATION:
Replace cheese amounts with the following:- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Colby cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Muenster cheese, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
