Mac and Cheese is a classic dish. The ultimate comfort food whether it’s for a holiday celebration, family get together, sunday dinner or just a day when you need some ultimate comfort.
I am an equal opportunity mac and cheese lover, but I have to say my favorite is a baked mac and cheese because of the topping. This baked mac and cheese has a crunchy topping and the mix of creamy cheese sauce with the crunchy panko crumb topping is a perfect bite.
Be sure to check out the make ahead tips below if you are making this for Thanksgiving or a holiday gathering!
One of the best things about this Baked Mac and Cheese recipe is just how easy it is to make. Simple ingredients, nothing fancy.
Pasta: I used Cavatappi for this one, but Elbow mac or any tubular noodle will work
Butter and Flour: Butter and Flour are key to starting the creamy cheese sauce, this starts the roux that will thicken the sauce. I melt Hiland Dairy Butter first then whisk the flour with it for just a minute
Hiland Dairy Heavy Cream and Whole Milk: You can’t have a creamy cheese sauce without milk. The mix of Hiland heavy cream and whole milk is perfectly rich and allows the cheese to melt seamlessly into the sauce.
Cheese, of course: The star of the show. I use a mix of sharp cheddar cheese and Gruyere cheese. The two give a rich, creamy taste with a slight tang that I love in a mac and cheese. Pro tip- buy a block and do the shredding yourself. It’s cheaper, it melts better and tastes better.
Panko: The crunch from panko is superior. Bigger than a regular bread crumb so it’s a bigger contrast between the creamy cheese sauce.
Step One: Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a casserole dish with nonstick spray. Then you’ll want to cook the pasta until it’s just before being done. Drain pasta, drizzle with some olive oil and set aside to cool slightly while you make the cheese sauce.
Step Two: In a large bowl, combine the shredded cheddar and gruyere cheeses together. Set aside.
Step Three: In a deep saucepan, melt the butter on medium high heat. Once melted, add the flour and whisk together until for about a minute. Slowly add the Hiland heavy cream then the milk while whisking together. Once the mixture just begins to bubble, add salt and pepper, then cook and whisk for another 2 minutes.
Step Four: Add 2 handfuls of shredded cheese to the milk mixture and stir until melted and smooth. Then add 2 more handfuls of cheese. (be sure to leave one handful to use to top the baking dish). Stir again until melted and smooth.
Step Five: Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to combine and coat the pasta in the cheese sauce. Pour half the cheesy pasta mixture into the casserole dish and spread out. Top with the remaining shredded cheese. Top with the rest of the cheesy pasta, spread out.
Step Six: In a separate medium bowl, combine the butter, panko, parmesan and paprika together. Top the Mac and Cheese with this mixture evenly. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until the sides get bubbly. Serve and enjoy!
Can you make Baked Mac and Cheese ahead of time? Yes! And it’s very easy to do.
The best way to make this recipe ahead of time is to make the components separately ahead, then the day of you can heat up, combine and cook.
Cook the pasta: Cook the pasta as normal, then drizzle with a good amount of olive oil to keep from sticking. Place in an airtight container or ziploc bag and place in the fridge until ready to use.
Cheese Sauce: Make the cheese sauce as normal, then let cool and transfer to an airtight container and into the fridge. Be sure to keep one handful of shredded cheese for topping the casserole dish.
Panko Topping: Combine the ingredients and then place in an airtight container, these do not need to be stored in the fridge.
Day of Assembly: Remove the components from the fridge. Transfer the cheese sauce to a deep saucepan and heat up on low medium heat until warm and smooth. Add in the cooked pasta. Pour half in the casserole dish, top with shredded cheese, more cheesy pasta, then the panko mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. All done in less time!
Be sure to check out some of my other favorite cheesy recipes below!
The ultimate creamy, cheesy mac and cheese with a homemade cheese sauce made with Hiland Heavy Cream, Milk and butter then baked with a crunchy panko bread crumb topping. The perfect mix of creamy, crunchy comfort food that will have your Thanksgiving guests asking for the recipe.
16 oz pasta- elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 Tablespoon Hiland Dairy butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups Hiland Dairy whole milk
1 cup Hiland Dairy heavy whipping cream
4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded
salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
4 Tablespoons Hiland Dairy butter, melted
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray either a 3 quart casserole dish or 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
Combine the shredded cheddar and Gruyere cheeses together in a large bowl and set aside.
Cook the pasta to just before being done, drain and then drizzle with olive oil. Set aside to cool while you make the cheese sauce.
In a deep saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat. Add the flour and whisk together for about 1 minute. Slowly pour in the heavy cream then the whole milk, whisking at the same time to combine. Continue whisking until the mixture just starts to bubble slightly. Add in salt and pepper, continue whisking for another 2 minutes.
Add 2 handfuls of the shredded cheese mixture, stirring afterwards to combine and melt together. Add another 2 handfuls (be sure to leave a handful to top the baking dish). Stir again to combine and melt.
Once the sauce is smooth and melted, add in the cooked pasta and stir together to coat the pasta.
Add half the cheesy pasta mix to the casserole dish and spread out. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese. Top with the remaining pasta and cheese mixture.
In a separate medium bowl, combine the 4 Tablespoons melted butter, Panko, shredded Parmesan and Paprika together. Sprinkle on top of the pasta.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until the sides start to get bubbly then serve!
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