Holiday Side–Best Baked Mac-N-Cheese

You cannot be unhappy with a huge bowl of creamy comforting homemade Baked Mac-N-Cheese. The dynamic duo of  sharp cheddar and Gruyere’ is a match made in heaven.  Feel free to use any cheese you like but always grate it off the block.  Packaged cheese will not do!

Grab a blanket and spoon and dig in.

Tip:

To Make-Ahead, make as directed but do not bake.  Transfer to a baking dish and cool completely.  Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate 1-3 days ahead.  Bring to room temp before baking (30 minutes to an hour on the counter).  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until hot and bubbly.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Holiday Side--- Best Baked Mac-N-Cheese

 

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Author: Tonja Engen

Ingredients

• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tsp. Kosher salt
• 2½ cups sharp cheddar, shredded
• 2 cups Gruyere', shredded
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1 lb. elbow macaroni

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add pasta. Cook 2 minutes less than the package instructions so pasta is al dente.
3. Drain noodles and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to prevent sticking.
4. Next, Bring evaporated milk and whole milk to simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper, and salt. Working in batches, whisk in 2 cups of cheddar and 2 cups of Gruyere' and the cream cheese. Stir until completely smooth.
5. Combine cheese mixture into bowl with noodles and mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into baking dish, sprinkle with ½ cup of remaining cheddar cheese, and bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove cover and cook an additional 10 minutes until lighlty brown and bubbly.

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