Baked Mac and Cheese
This baked mac and cheese features a dreamy combination of creamy gouda and havarti cheese for a silky, cheesy homemade mac and cheese sauce that tastes SO MUCH BETTER than the boxed kind.
Servings 12
Calories 462.63kcal
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons dry mustard
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 3 cups shredded havarti cheese (approx. 10 ounces total)
- 3 cups shredded gouda cheese (approx. 10 ounces total)
- 1 pound elbow macaroni or any short pasta noodle
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon white ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a deep bottom saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add mustard and flour. Whisk briskly for about 2 minutes to cook the flour. Pour in milk, whisking continuously to prevent any lumps. Keep whisking until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cheese until smooth and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Boil the pasta until just al dente. Drain the water and pour the pasta into the pot with the cheese sauce. Transfer the mixture to a 9 X 13 casserole dish. Sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs. Cover with foil.
- Place mac and cheese in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and return the mac and cheese to the oven to continue baking for 10-15 minutes, or until the top is bubbling and golden brown. Top with chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
When cooking your pasta, be sure to cook it just until al denté. When it's baked in the oven, the macaroni will continue to cook and you don't want to end up with mush.