Pour cheese sauce over the pasta and stir to combine.
For this reason, I like to also include the crust of the bread since that will create some really delicious, crunchiness to your bread crumb mixture. Your crumbs should be finely ground but still a bit crumbly so that they crisp up on top. Getting the Right Texture for Homemade Breadcrumbs Once you fall in love with homemade breadcrumbs, you'll want to put them on everything! They are also fantastic on my Baked Zucchini Gratin casserole!Ĭut the bread into cubes and place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until large crumbs form. Something like a boule or sourdough loaf. It's best to use rustic bread for the breadcrumbs. The finishing touch to this Baked Mac and Cheese is the homemade bread crumbs! It's really what sends this dish over the top. The pasta also needs liquid in order to cook through so the extra sauce takes care of both! Step #4: Make The Homemade Bread Crumbs There's nothing worse than a dry mac and cheese and this compensates for the fact that the liquid will get absorbed into the pasta as it bakes. It will look like a TON of sauce, but it will get absorbed into the pasta as it bakes in the oven. I know there are folks who will disagree with me on this one, but I find the flour in the sauce thickens the cheese sauce and binds the mac and cheese together so there really is no need for egg in this recipe. I like to use a combination of white cheddar for gooeyness, gruyere for flavor, and parmesan for a little nuttiness.
#Easy mac and cheese baked recipe for mac
Personally, I think a 3-cheese combination is the best for Mac and Cheese. What is the best cheese to use for baked macaroni and cheese? Season with garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. In a large pot, you'll melt the butter, whisk in the flour to form a paste, then slowly add the milk, whisking constantly until smooth and creamy. I think the shells provide a better vehicle for holding the sauce and cheese! Overcooking will result in a mushy mac and cheese!Įven though traditional mac and cheese is made with macaroni pasta, I really prefer to use the small shell pasta for this recipe. It should just give a bit when piercing it with a knife. You don’t want to fully cook the pasta at this stage since it will cook further in the oven. Drain the pasta once it is “al dente” and still has a bit of chew to it. It freezes well allowing you to set aside individual portions for a quick weeknight meal!īoil pasta according to package directions.It allows for topping with homemade breadcrumbs which makes Mac and Cheese ALL the better!.
You will boil your pasta until "al dente", you don't want to overcook it since a baked mac and cheese will continue to cook the pasta in the oven.