Description
This easy mac and cheese recipe is a quick mac n cheese recipe perfect for at home mac and cheese lovers. It features a silky smooth cheese sauce with no bake mac and cheese recipe technique for a creamy finish. Enjoy the best homemade mac and cheese recipe easy to make.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb Cavatappi Pasta or elbow penne farfalle
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- 1/4 cup Flour
- 1 1/2 cups Whole Milk
- 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
- 8 ounces Sharp Cheddar freshly grated
- 8 ounces American Cheese Boar’s Head from the deli
- 4 ounces Medium Cheddar Cheese freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard may use 2 teaspoons
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the cavatappi pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- While pasta water is heating up, in a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 2 minutes until it forms a smooth paste.
- Slowly pour in the heavy cream and whole milk about 1/4 cup at a time while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook for 2-3 minutes until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Stir in the dijon mustard paprika garlic powder salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Reduce heat to low. Gradually add the Boar’s Head American cheese cut into small pieces 4 ounces of medium cheddar and 4 ounces sharp cheddar reserving the other 4 ounces for topping stirring constantly until fully melted and smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to coat evenly. Pour into baking dish.
- Sprinkle with the remaining 4 ounces of cheddar cheese. Broil for 2-3 minutes or bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.
- Serve immediately for the creamiest texture optionally garnish with dried parsley or additional paprika.
Notes
- See the blog post for FAQ’s, how to keep your mac and cheese from becoming grainy, tips for keeping the cheese sauce creamy, and more
- I highly suggest freshly grating blocks of cheese and NOT using pre-packaged cheese
- Use freshly grated cheese from a block for best melting results
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch or Dinner, Side Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 80mg