In the universe of food, my dad taught me how to make 2 very important things: reservations and this recipe for a very elevated baked Mac & Cheese! Adults love it because it has a sophisticated depth of flavor, kids love it because it’s Mac & Cheese, and everyone loves the buttery breadcrumbs!
Ingredients:
– 5 Tbsp Butter
– 5 Tbsp Flour
– 2 cups Milk
– 1 cup Half and Half
– 1 cup Heavy Cream
– 1 clove Garlic, pressed
– 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
– 1/4 tsp Pepper
– Pinch of Nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)
– 6 oz Fontina Cheese, grated
– 6 oz Gorgonzola Cheese, crumbled
– 1 lb Penne, Elbows, or your choice of pasta, cooked al dente
For the Topping:
– 1 Tbsp Butter, melted
– 1/2 cup bread crumbs (I like Panko)
– 1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
How I Make it:
– Preheat oven to 350 degrees
– Combine milk, half and half, and heavy cream and heat in microwave on high for 3 minutes until it is warm.
– In a large sauce pan, melt butter on medium heat and whisk in flour to make roux and cook for 2-3 minutes until the flour begins to smell nutty.
– Whisk in the warm milk mixture and continue to whisk until sauce is smooth and all of the roux is combined with the milk mixture.
– Add garlic and seasonings and whisk until well-blended.
– When the sauce has thickened (after about 3 minutes or so), turn off the heat and gradually add the fontina, while whisking, followed by the gorgonzola. Continue to whisk until fully melted.
– Grease a 13×9 baking dish, add cooked pasta, and pour over cheese sauce and carefully stir until well-combined.
– In a small bowl combine the melted butter and breadcrumbs and sprinkle evenly over the top of the Mac and cheese.
– Finish with evenly sprinkling the grated parmesan over top of the breadcrumbs.
– Bake 35-45 minutes or until it becomes golden brown and bubbly.
Tips:
* You can substitute the cheeses for other cheeses that you have on hand as long as they are good melting cheeses (Cheddar, Gruyere, Colby, and Monterey Jack all come to mind).
* If you want to make this ahead and then bake it off before serving, chill the mixed pasta and cheese and then before baking give it another stir to make sure the cheese hasn’t all settled to the bottom. Always add the buttery breadcrumb topping right before baking (if you’re baking it cold, add another 10-15 minutes to cooking time).
Try this recipe and see if it’s not the best Mac & Cheese that’s ever come out of your kitchen!
Happy Eating!
