Delicious Baked Mac and Cheese
This is a recipe I developed on my own time. It uses 3 kinds of cheeses, and can be kept in the refrigerator until ready to serve!
This is a recipe I developed on my own time. It uses 3 kinds of cheeses, and can be kept in the refrigerator until ready to serve!
- Carbohydrate 37.0625715619634 g
- Cholesterol 183.8663375 mg
- Fat 45.0728931306206 g
- Fiber 0.286532343379461 g
- Protein 25.5966951705897 g
- Saturated Fat 27.4214936043335 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (178g)
- Sodium 344.202046185982 mg
- Sugar 36.7760392185839 g
- Trans Fat 2.85750551755183 g
- Calories 653 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Fill a heavy pot 3/4 of the way with water, and boil pasta until just al dente. Drain, and set aside
- In another deep sauce pot over medium heat, add butter, and when sizzling, add flour. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, until flour is cooked out, and mixture is lightly golden
- Add creme and milk, and bring to a boil. When boiling, turn heat down to medium low, and add the shredded cheddar cheese, and shredded asiago. Stir until all cheese is melted into sauce. Season with salt and pepper (mostly salt, it needs it) and garlic powder if using. Let cook gently over the heat for 15 minutes.
- When 15 minutes has elapsed, add cooked pasta to sauce and mix in completely so every noodle is covered in sauce. Pour mixture into a 9x13" baking dish, and sprinkle gruyere cheese overtop. Bake in oven for 12 minutes, or until cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly golden brown on top.
- Let sit for 10 minutes before eating, and enjoy!
Golden bubbles breach a surface crust of toasted gruyere while heavy cream and sharp cheddar bind densely to spiraled pasta beneath. Visual appeal often masks structural flaws in heavy casserole dishes. Many cooks rush the initial roux stage. Raw flour ruins an entire batch by leaving a pasty, unrefined starch flavor that heavy dairy cannot mask. Cook that butter and flour mixture over medium heat for precisely two minutes until the raw grain smell dissipates entirely and the paste turns lightly golden. Whisking cold dairy into hot roux guarantees lumps unless added gradually. Maintaining a gentle fifteen-minute simmer on the finished sauce reduces moisture properly before the pasta enters the pot.
Asiago brings a sharp salinity that balances the heavy cream base. Sharp cheddar adds the classic orange hue and distinct tang, while gruyere melts into a stretchy, nutty cap during the final twelve minutes in a 350-degree oven. Shred all blocks manually from whole pieces. Pre-bagged shreds contain cellulose coatings that prevent smooth emulsification into dairy liquids. Stirring the boiled pasta directly into the warm sauce coats every interior crevice before transfer into a 9x13-inch baking vessel.
Resting the casserole for ten minutes post-bake allows internal starches to settle. Slices hold their shape instead of collapsing into a runny soup on the plate. Unbaked pans survive twenty-four hours in refrigeration under tight foil wraps without absorbing unwanted refrigerator odors. Meal preparation becomes straightforward when assembly happens a day ahead.
Dietary adaptations require careful component swaps. Gluten-free pasta demands shorter boiling times to survive the oven phase without disintegrating. Lactose-free heavy creams and hard cheeses containing naturally low lactose levels substitute cleanly without altering the fundamental baking chemistry.
