Baked Mac & Cheese

Ok, so this isn't really a new recipe, but I wanted to add this as an alternative version of the Fried Mac & Cheese recipe that I made a few weeks ago. The Macaroni preparation is identical but I will list out the steps again just for reference.

Below I will show you how to make Baked Mac & Cheese.

The recipe below does make quite a bit of pasta (I actually made both the Baked & Fried versions on the same night and had enough to make a small dish of baked macaroni and cheese as well as around 20 Fried Mac & Cheese balls) so please feel free to scale down the recipe for a smaller group.

Prep Time: 15 MinutesCook Time: 45 minutes

Part 1
3/4 pound of Elbow pasta
1 1/4 cups of Milk (I used Skim)
10 oz Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Buy a fresh block and grate at home)
10 oz Gouda Cheese (Buy a fresh block and grate at home)
5 oz Velveeta
1 1/2 tbsp Butter (Unsalted)

Part 2
About 1/4 cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs (just enough to coat the top)
Parmesan Cheese to taste

1. Boil water, add a pinch of salt to pot, and cook pasta until tender. Drain all water from the cooked pasta.

2. Now you will want to prepare the cheese in another pot. First, set the burner to medium and start melting the butter. As soon as the butter melts, add in the milk. Now you want to continue to heat the butter and milk mixture for a few moments until the 2 are blended and heat up (about 2 minutes).

3. You can now add the 3 cheeses into the pot. The Velveeta can be cut into a few smaller pieces to make the process a bit easier. Once all of the cheese is in the pot, continue to stir until everything is blended. Remove from heat and pour over the pasta. Mix thoroughly to ensure the cheese mixture is evenly distributed. Now is a good time to preheat your oven to 350F

4. Transfer the Mac & Cheese to a oven-safe dish. Then, take the breadcrumb and spread a light layer evenly across the top of the Mac & Cheese. You may now choose to sprinkle a portion of parmesan on top to add more flavor.

5. Now, bake the Mac & Cheese for about 30 minutes (checking frequently) until the top of the macaroni and breadcrumb starts to turn a light brown. Remove and allow a few moments to cool.