Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese

By Sprig Originals ✓ · with credit

Adapted from thechunkychef.com

A properly old-fashioned baked mac and cheese: elbow pasta folded into a thick cheddar-Gruyère sauce, layered with more cheese, and baked just long enough to go bubbly and golden. Mild, rich and the surest way to clear a plate at the kids' end of the table.

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried elbow pasta

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 1/2 cups half and half
• 4 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
• 1/2 Tbsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp paprika

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 325°F and grease a 9x13-inch (3 quart) baking dish. Toss the shredded cheddar and Gruyère together in a bowl, then split the mixture into three portions: 3 cups for the sauce, 1 1/2 cups for the middle layer, and 1 1/2 cups for the top.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the elbows for 1 minute less than the package says for al dente — they'll finish in the oven. Drain, then toss with a drizzle of olive oil so they don't clump while you make the sauce.
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour; it will look like wet sand. Cook for about 1 minute, whisking often, then pour in roughly 2 cups of the half and half in a slow stream while whisking constantly until smooth. Add the remaining half and half and the whole milk the same way.
4. Keep the sauce over medium heat, whisking very often, for 5 to 8 minutes, until it thickens to the consistency of a barely thinned condensed soup — thick enough to coat the whisk heavily.
5. Off the heat, stir in the salt, pepper and paprika along with 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture until melted. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of the sauce cheese and stir until completely smooth.
6. In a large bowl, fold the drained pasta into the cheese sauce until every piece is coated. Spread half into the baking dish, scatter over 1 1/2 cups of cheese, then add the rest of the pasta and finish with the last 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, until bubbling at the edges and lightly golden on top. Let it sit 5 minutes before serving.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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