Baked Mac and Cheese
by Tavolino
A rich, comforting pasta casserole featuring tender macaroni coated in a creamy, seasoned cheese sauce, finished with a crispy, buttery breadcrumb topping.
Ingredients
- chicken broth 1 cup
- heavy cream 1 cup
- Italian seasoning 0.5 tsp total (divided)
- garlic powder 0.5 tsp total (divided)
- smoked paprika 0.5 tsp total (divided)
- cayenne pepper 0.125 tsp
- black pepper 0.5 tsp total (divided)
- salt 0.75 tsp total (divided)
- cheddar cheese (shredded) 1.25 cups total (divided)
- Italian cheese blend (shredded) 1 cup
- macaroni (uncooked) 8 oz
- butter 2 Tbsp
- Panko breadcrumbs 0.5 cup
Preparation
- 1
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- 2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- 3
Add 8 oz of uncooked macaroni to the boiling water and cook for 8 minutes until al dente.
- 4
Drain the pasta and set it aside.
- 5
In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of chicken broth and 1 cup of heavy cream over medium heat.
- 6
Whisk in 0.25 tsp Italian seasoning, 0.25 tsp garlic powder, 0.25 tsp smoked paprika, 0.125 tsp cayenne pepper, 0.25 tsp black pepper, and 0.25 tsp salt.
- 7
Stir in 0.75 cups of shredded cheddar cheese and 0.75 cups of shredded Italian cheese blend until melted.
- 8
Combine the cooked macaroni with the cheese sauce in a baking dish.
- 9
In a small bowl, melt 2 Tbsp of butter.
- 10
Mix the butter with 0.5 cup Panko breadcrumbs, the remaining Italian seasoning, garlic powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, salt, and remaining cheeses.
- 11
Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the macaroni in the baking dish.
- 12
Bake the casserole for 20 minutes until the topping is golden brown and bubbly.
- 13
Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.