BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE RECIPE

 

Ingredients :

3 cups elbow macaroni uncooked

1 ½ cups milk

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup Colby & Monterey Jack shredded (cheese blend)

6-8 oz Velveeta cheese shredded (feel free to cut back on the Velveeta if you don’t want it to be super creamy)

1 cup sharp cheddar shredded (can use less if you don’t like a sharp taste in your mac n cheese)

salt & pepper to taste

2 eggs

1 cup smoked cheddar cheese shredded (a must)

paprika optional

Directions :

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cook macaroni until just al dente or a little under al dente. (Look on the back of the box to see how long you need to cook your pasta for it to reach al dente.) Be careful not to overcook.

Drain pasta and set aside.

In a large bowl, add milk, heavy cream & cheeses (except for the smoked cheddar).

Stir to combine.

Taste the milk mixture and add salt & pepper until it has a good taste. (You can also add in other seasonings like onion powder, paprika, etc. Tasting will help avoid having a plain, bland baked macaroni & cheese.)

When you are content with the taste, add the eggs.

Stir well until combined.

Butter a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.

Add macaroni to the baking dish.

Pour cheese mixture over macaroni.

Make sure the cheese is distributed well.

Top with the smoked cheddar cheese. (I add a little more Colby jack as well.) Sprinkle with paprika and/or black pepper, if desired.

Bake for 35-45 minutes. Do not overbake. It may be a bit jiggly when you take it out of the oven. It will firm up as it cool.

Let cool for about 10-15 minutes or until fully set.