|Baked Mac and Cheese|

Do you eat Mac and Cheese with a spoon or fork? Well, either way you are going to love this recipe. It’s unlike any homemade Mac and Cheese I have ever made. It’s creamy, delicious and comforting. It is exactly what your Christmas Day dinner needs!

As a kid I always put ketchup on my Mac and Cheese. Am I alone in this? Sometimes we would get extra fancy and throw in a hotdog with it. We loved it! Unlike my childhood Mac and Cheese, with fake, who knows what’s in it cheese, this recipe has real cheese with lots of real flavor!

The key here is the Gruyere cheese. I fell upon this cheese after researching cheeses that are perfect for melting. Now I wouldn’t enjoy this cheese as much by itself, but it’s what honestly makes this Mac and Cheese unlike any other that you have made.

Ingredients

• 16oz macaroni elbow pasta
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup flour
• 5 cups milk of your choice
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided ( 2 1/2 cups and 1 cup)
• 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prep 9×13 baking dish with non stick spray.
2. Start cooking 16oz of macaroni pasta according to packaging directions.
3. While pasta is cooking, melt 6 Tbsp butter in sauce pan on medium heat. Stir in 1/3 cup of flour.
4. Pour 5 cups of milk and 1/2 cup whipping cream into sauce pan with butter and flour. Stirring continuously. Add in 2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1 cup gruyere cheese, 1/2 tsp pepper and 1/4 tsp salt. Stirring continuously again. Notice it will start to thicken.
5. Once thickened remove sauce from heat. Strain noodles and pour back into pot. Coat noodles with about 2 Tbsps of olive oil.
6. Pour half the noodles into prepped baking dish. Pour half the cheese sauce over top and stir to coat noodles.
7. Pour the rest of the noodles into dish and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle reaming 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese on top.
8. In a separate bowl melt 2 Tbsp butter. Mix in 1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 tsp paprika and 1/4 tsp pepper. Mix fully. Spread mix evenly over top macaroni.
9. Place in oven for 15- 20 minutes. Until nice and bubbly around edges.
10. Enjoy!

---

Let me know you made this by tagging me on Instagram @plantpraypick

---