Freshly Homecooked is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
Mac and cheese is a favorite of mine to have at the holiday dinner table. It is so warm and comforting, and very cheesy. Instead of making a creamy stove top macaroni and cheese, I decided to bake it giving the macaroni a cheesy topping. The mac and cheese is still creamy, but it is even better with the added cheese on top. You can make this pasta as the perfect comfort food dinner, or as a delicious side dish to enjoy with your holiday dinner.
Cook the pasta and set it aside. To make the creamy cheesy sauce, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook it for a minute to brown, this creates a roux that will help the sauce thicken. Whisk in milk, 2 cups of the shredded cheese, salt and pepper. Whisk the sauce constantly until it is thickened and the cheese has completely melted and smooth. Mix the cheese sauce with the cooked pasta and spread it into a greased baking dish. Top the pasta with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese. Bake until the cheese has melted.
Baked Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 oz. box elbow pasta
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add in flour and cook for a minute to brown. Add milk, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, salt and pepper.
- Whisk constantly until smooth and thickened. Mix sauce with the cooked pasta and spread out into a large greased baking dish. Top with the remaining 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.