21/12/2020
MAC N CHEESE
45 mins / Serves 6-8
Is there anything more cozy and comforting than a homemade holiday mac and cheese? This recipe is extra cheesy, ultra-creamy, and sure to be passed around for seconds (and thirds).
INGREDIENTS:
-1 pound of dried elbow pasta or other
-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 grated medium sharp cheddar cheese – divided (measured after grating)
-2 cups grated Gruyere cheese – divided (measured after grating)
-1/2 tbsp. salt
-1/2 tsp. black pepper
-1/4 tsp. paprika
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees 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 drizzle a bit of olive oil to keep from sticking.
Grate 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 medium 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 of the milk/half and half, while whisking constantly, until smooth. Repeat with the remaining milk/half and half until combined and smooth.
Continue to heat over medium, whisking very often, until mixture is very thick. It should almost be the consistency of a semi thinned out condensed soup.
Remove from 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. Stir until 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 grated 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 cheese is bubbly and lightly golden brown. Enjoy!
Pair with: North Coast Reserve Zinfandel
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