Description
Creamy, cheesy, and baked to golden perfection, this ultimate comfort mac and cheese is loaded with rich flavors and a crispy breadcrumb topping.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Boil macaroni until al dente, then drain and set aside.
- In a pan, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Slowly whisk in milk and heavy cream until smooth.
- Cook until the sauce thickens.
- Stir in cheddar and mozzarella cheese until fully melted and smooth.
- Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Mix the cooked pasta with the cheese sauce evenly.
- Transfer the mixture to a baking dish.
- Combine breadcrumbs with melted butter and sprinkle on top.
- Bake until golden and bubbly.
Notes
Do not overcook the pasta before baking to avoid mushy texture. For extra crisp topping, broil for a couple of minutes at the end.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 85mg