Description
Creamy, indulgent good ole fashion mac and cheese brings comfort straight from grandma’s kitchen to your dinner table. Rich cheddar and perfectly cooked pasta create a nostalgic dish you’ll savor with every delightful, cheesy bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Cheese Ingredients:
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Pasta and Dairy Ingredients:
- 3 cups dry elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) salted butter
- 2 cans (12 ounces or 354 ml each) evaporated milk
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) milk of choice (whole, 2%, or alternative milk)
- 2 large eggs
Seasoning Ingredients:
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare a generously salted water bath in a large pot, bringing it to a vigorous boil. Gently introduce elbow macaroni, allowing it to dance and soften for approximately 7-8 minutes until achieving a tender al dente consistency. Carefully drain the pasta and return it to the original pot.
- Introduce salted butter to the warm macaroni, tenderly stirring until each pasta strand gleams with a luxurious buttery coating, preventing unwanted adhesion and enhancing overall flavor complexity.
- Craft a silky liquid foundation by whisking evaporated milk, additional milk, eggs, and garlic salt in a spacious mixing vessel. Ensure the mixture achieves a harmonious, smooth texture with no lingering lumps.
- Create a cheese medley by combining shredded cheddar and mozzarella in a separate receptacle, blending the varieties to promise a multi-dimensional taste profile.
- Ignite the oven to 375°F, preparing a 9×13 inch baking dish with a delicate non-stick spray. Construct architectural layers alternating between buttered macaroni and cheese blend, culminating in a magnificent cheese-crowned summit.
- Meticulously cascade the milk-egg elixir across the layered landscape, ensuring complete saturation through every delectable crevice.
- Optional: Dust the surface with a whisper of paprika, introducing a subtle chromatic and flavor dimension. Transfer the assemblage to the heated oven, allowing it to transform for 25-30 minutes until achieving a gloriously golden, effervescent surface.
- Extract the masterpiece, permitting a brief moment of repose to enable structural stabilization, making service more elegant and controlled.
- Present while radiantly warm, inviting companions to indulge in this comforting culinary embrace.
Notes
- Prevent pasta from becoming mushy by cooking exactly 7-8 minutes, keeping a slight firmness for perfect texture.
- Experiment with cheese varieties like gruyere or monterey jack to create unique flavor profiles and add exciting depth.
- Use room temperature eggs and milk to ensure smoother blending and more consistent sauce distribution throughout the dish.
- Consider adding crispy breadcrumbs or crushed crackers on top before baking for an extra crunchy golden layer that provides delightful textural contrast.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 19 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg