Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe courtesy of BostonSidewalks.com
Ingredients
  • 12 oz pasta, any shape you want
For the Cheese Sauce
  • 3 T butter
  • 2 T flour
  • 3 c milk
  • 1 1/2 t salt
  • 1/4 t celery salt
  • 1/4 t paprika
  • 1/8-1/4 t black pepper
  • 6 oz Monterey Jack cheese, cubed (1 1/2 c grated)
  • 6 oz sharp cheddar cheese, cubed (1 1/2 c grated)
  • 4 oz Velveeta, cubed
For the Toppings
  • 2 t butter, melted
  • 5 T Panko bread crumbs
  • 1/8 t garlic powder (optional)
Instructions
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 °
2.  Add 2-3 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a sauce pan large enough to hold the pasta and bring it to a boil.
3.  When it is boiling, add the macaroni and cook until just al dente, 5-6 minutes. Taste it and make sure not to overcook it. It will continue to cook when it is baked
4.  Run cold water into the pan until the water in the pan is cool. Drain the macaroni in a colander and return it to the pan. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the macaroni and stir it to fully coat with the oil. Let it sit in the pan until you are ready to use it.
5.  In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat.
6.  Whisk in the flour and cook for about 30 seconds whisking constantly.
7.  While whisking the roux, add the milk. Add the salt, celery salt, paprika and pepper and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn't stick or lump.
8.  Add the cheese and stir until melted, about 3 to 5 minutes.
9.  Combine the macaroni and the cheese in a 2 quart shallow casserole until it is thoroughly mixed. You can do this in the saucepan with the macaroni if you want and then pour it into the casserole dish. It is a little less messy that way.
10.  For the bread crumb mixture, add the melted butter to the bread crumbs. Mix in the garlic powder and combine until it is thoroughly mixed. Sprinkle on top of the casserole.
11.  Bake in the oven until it is bubbly and lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Summary
This can be served right away or it will keep warm in the casserole dish for a while. Keep the leftovers (if there are any) in the refrigerator and heat them up when you are ready. You can eat this as a side dish with a nice baked ham or as a main dish all by itself. The best comfort food ever! Enjoy!
Make It Mine
  • In this recipe the cheeses used are Cabot Vermont Cheddar and Cabot Monterey Jack along with the Velveeta .You can very easily substitute either or both of the first two cheeses and increase or decrease the amount of Velveeta. So consider using any melting cheese such as Colby, Gouda, Gruyere, Fontina, etc. Experiment with different cheeses and let us know how it comes out.
  • Regarding the pasta, the traditional shape for macaroni and cheese is elbow macaroni. But you can use any pasta you want. I like Cavitappi which is what is used in this recipe. It is like an elbow but larger and in the shape of a corkscrew. Also try Fusilli, Ziti, Rigatoni or Penne. Have some fun and make it your own!
  • For the baking time, just remember, the longer you bake it, the drier it gets so if you like it moist, keep your baking time shorter. All we are trying to do here is heat it, everything is already cooked so we are not "cooking" anything. And if you like the top extra brown, place it under the broiler for a few minutes, just remember to keep an eye on it.
  • You can also sprinkle some cheese on top before you put the bread crumbs on and before you bake it. If you are going to do that try a yellow cheese like cheddar.