Ultimate Baked Macaroni And Cheese Recipe

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Ingredients:

Serving

1 1/2 cup. panko bread crumbs
9 tbsp. (1 stick plus 1 tbsp) butter, divided, plus more for pan
5 1/2 cup. whole milk
1/2 medium onion, cut into large chunks
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup. flour
3 cup. grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
2 cup. grated monterey jack cheese, divided
1 1/2 cup. grated italian cheese blend, divided
1 1/2 cup. grated swiss cheese, divided
1 cup. grated parmigiano reggiano, divided
16 oz. uncooked large elbow macaroni

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside.
Place bread crumbs in a small bowl. Melt 3 TBSP. of the butter; drizzle over bread crumbs. Toss well with a fork to coat crumbs evenly. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat milk, onion, bay leaves, nutmeg, black and cayenne peppers, and salt over medium heat. Stir frequently. Just as you begin to see tiny bubbles form around the edge of the pan, reduce heat to low and continue heating milk for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cover; let sit at least 30 minutes.
While milk sits, prepare the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; salt well. Add pasta and cook according to package directions, removing pasta from the heat about 2 minutes before directions suggest. You are looking for the pasta to still have a little bite or chewiness to it. Drain pasta well and rinse with cool water. Rinsing removes some of the starch from the pasta and helps keep the cheese sauce from getting grainy while baking. Drain pasta well and set aside.
In a large bowl, toss together the cheeses: 2 c. of the sharp cheddar, 1 c. of the Monterey Jack, 3/4 c. of the Italian blend, 1 c. of the Swiss, and 1/2 c. of the Parmigiano. Set aside.
Using a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl, pour milk through sieve to filter out the onion, bay leaf, etc. Discard solids.
In a large pot (use the pasta pot - less to clean) melt remaining 6 TBSP. of butter over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Whisk together well and cook, stirring, 1 minute (this is your roux).
Slowly pour the warmed and strained milk into the roux while whisking constantly. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens.
Remove sauce from the heat and add the cheeses you mixed in the bowl. Whisk well to blend; sauce should be smooth. Add rinsed and drained macaroni, stir well to combine.
Empty pot into prepared baking dish. In the bowl you used to mix the first batch of cheese, mix the remaining cheeses: 1 c. sharp Cheddar, 1 c. Monterey Jack, 3/4 c. Italian blend, 1/2 c. Swiss, and 1/2 c. Parmigiano. Toss well to combine and sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese sauce.
Sprinkle buttered bread crumbs over the top of the cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and topping is golden. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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Nutrition Facts

Per Serving Per 100 g

Amount Per 1 Serving
Calories	767.32 Kcal (3213 kJ)
Calories from fat	410.85 Kcal
		% Daily Value*
Total Fat	45.65g	70%
Cholesterol	136.63mg	46%
Sodium	1201.11mg	50%
Potassium	339.62mg	7%
Total Carbs	48.51g	16%
Sugars	7.9g	32%
Dietary Fiber	2.21g	9%
Protein	40.9g	82%
Vitamin C	0.4mg	1%
Vitamin A	1.1mg	36%
Iron	1.7mg	9%
Calcium	911.6mg	91%

Amount Per 100 g
Calories	231.01 Kcal (967 kJ)
Calories from fat	123.69 Kcal
		% Daily Value*
Total Fat	13.74g	70%
Cholesterol	41.13mg	46%
Sodium	361.61mg	50%
Potassium	102.25mg	7%
Total Carbs	14.61g	16%
Sugars	2.38g	32%
Dietary Fiber	0.67g	9%
Protein	12.31g	82%
Vitamin C	0.1mg	1%
Vitamin A	0.3mg	36%
Iron	0.5mg	9%
Calcium	274.5mg	91%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Find out how many calories should you eat.

Tastes

salty
savory
bitter
sweet

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