Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I bring you many dessert recipes.  It’s what I love best.

But what you might not know is that I cook as much as I bake.  I absolutely love baking savory items.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner, I do it all.

One of my favorite things to do is to find new and exciting dinner recipes.  I have classic recipes that I make all the time, but I think it’s fun to find new recipes that spice up our dinner life :).  Such as some butternut squash stuffed shells I just made.  Or sweet potato and black bean enchiladas that I just can’t get enough of right now.

I love to expand out palettes and try new things, and dinner is the perfect time to do that.

One day, when I was searching for a different pasta dish to make I came across this incredibly-delicious-looking Classic Macaroni and Cheese.  I have been long searching for a good mac and cheese recipe.  It’s always been important to me to have a good macaroni and cheese recipe up my sleeve.  So, when I saw this recipe I tried it immediately!

Since that day I have made this recipe dozens of times.  It’s one of my favorite dishes to make and eat!  It’s also great for leftovers.  The full recipe makes about 8 large servings.  There are only 2 of us and I always make the full recipe.  Trust me – Do this too!  Do not cut the recipe in half.  This mac and cheese goes so fast.  You will eat it for lunch and dinner (and maybe even breakfast!), and it will be gone before you know it.

This recipe is the ultimate mac and cheese recipe for many reasons.  One of my favorite things about this recipe is the combination of chicken stock and milk.  This combination, added with the monterrey jack and cheddar cheeses, creates an incredibly creamy cheese sauce.  No cream is needed!  Yep, that’s right, you heard me.  No cream!  I use low sodium chicken broth and 1% milk and my sauce is just as creamy as if I used cream and whole milk.

Another aspect of this dish that I love so much, is the bread topping.  Instead of using a breadcrumb topping, I create a topping made of cubed bread.  What I do it cube up some bread, whichever brand you like (I use Whole Wheat), and then sauté it with some olive oil and parsley.  Then I sprinkle it over the top of the pasta.  While the mac and cheese is baking, the bread topping gets dark brown and crunchy.  This creates the perfect contrast against the creamy sauce and smooth pasta.

Please trust me when I tell you that this will be your favorite, go-to, mac and cheese recipe.  I am so confident in this recipe that I have no doubt that you will love it.  This is why you must try it right away! It’s great as a main dish option or a side item.  And I know it would be the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table!  Enjoy!

Happy Veterans Day & 11-11-11 :)!  Thank you veterans & active military for all the hard work you put in to protect our beautiful country!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

For Printable Recipe, Click here!

Makes: 1 9x13” dish

Bread Topping

5 large slices of bread, Any kind you want (I used Whole Wheat)

 3 tbsp. Olive Oil

2 tsp. Dried Parsley

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Mac and Cheese Pasta

1 lb. Pasta Shells

4 tbsp. Unsalted Butter

2 cloves Garlic, Minced

¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper

6 tbsp. All Purpose Flour

2 cups Chicken Broth (I prefer Low Sodium)

3 ¼ cups Milk (I prefer 1%)

1 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese, Shredded

8 oz. Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

To make the bread topping, cut the bread into small cubes.  Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the bread cubes and sauté until they begin to turn light golden brown.  Add the dried parsley and continue to sauté until they are golden brown in color.  Remove from the heat and let cool until ready to use.

To make the mac and cheese pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook until just shy of al-dente.  You will cook the pasta more when it is in the oven so you don’t want to overcook the pasta right now.  Drain the pasta and place in a 9x13” baking dish.  Set aside.

To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a large pot (I use a dutch oven).  Add the garlic and cayenne pepper and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the flour and whisk until golden brown, about 1 minute.  Whisk in the chicken stock and milk, and continue to whisk until the mixture comes to a boil.  Add the cheeses and stir until a creamy, smooth sauce has developed.  Add the salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta into the baking dish.  Carefully stir the pasta in the baking sheet so the cheese sauce coats all of the pasta.  Top the pasta with the reserved bread topping.  *At this point you can cover the dish with foil and plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Place the baking dish in the oven and cook until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the bread topping is a deep golden brown, about 30-40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.  Enjoy :)!

This macaroni and cheese can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Recipe adapted from Annie Eats.