Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese (Print-Friendly Version)

Cheesy baked mac with creamy sauce, Gruyere, cheddar, and a crispy Parmesan-panko crust. Crowd-pleasing comfort food.

# Ingredients:

→ Pasta and Cheese Mixture

01 - 16 oz elbow macaroni, cooked (or other tubular pasta)
02 - 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
03 - 6 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 1/3 cup all purpose flour
05 - 3 cups whole milk
06 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream
07 - 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
08 - 2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded
09 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Topping

10 - 1 1/2 cups panko crumbs
11 - 4 tbsp butter, melted
12 - 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
13 - 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a large 3 qt or 4 qt baking dish and set aside.
02 - Cook the pasta one minute shy of al dente according to the package instructions. Remove from heat, drain, and place in a large bowl. Drizzle pasta with olive oil, stir to coat, and set aside to cool while preparing cheese sauce.
03 - Melt butter in a deep saucepan, Dutch oven, or stock pot. Whisk in flour over medium heat and continue whisking for about 1 minute until bubbly and golden. Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until smooth. Continue whisking until you see bubbles on the surface, then cook and whisk for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
04 - Add two cups of shredded cheese and whisk until smooth. Add another two cups of shredded cheese and whisk until creamy and smooth. Sauce should be thick.
05 - Stir the cooled pasta into the cheese sauce until fully coated.
06 - Pour half of the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish. Top with two remaining cups of shredded cheese, then add the rest of the mac and cheese.
07 - In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter, and paprika.
08 - Sprinkle the topping mixture over the mac and cheese. Bake in the oven until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

# Notes:

01 - For best results, use freshly shredded cheese instead of pre-shredded cheese.

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