Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Easy, cheesy and comforting meal or side dish

Cooler temperatures always put me in the mood to make casseroles and other comfort foods. This baked macaroni and cheese is sure to make everyone in your family feel the love on a cool autumn day!

We’ve adapted this recipe from Mark Bittman’s cookbook “How To Cook Everything.”

Serves 6

What You Need

2 1/2 Cups 2% milk (you can use whichever you prefer)
1 pound pasta (macaroni or another favourite)
4 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups grated cheese (Sharp cheddar, gouda, jack)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs (or you can also use crushed Corn Flakes cereal)
2 bay leaves
Salt & Pepper to taste

How You Make

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil
3. In a separate saucepan, heat milk with bay leaves over medium low to a simmer (about 5 min). Take off heat.
4. Cook pasta in salted water until it you feel it is about 1-2 minutes undercooked. Drain and rinse to stop cooking.
5. In a small saucepan melt 3 Tbsp butter and once it stops sputtering (this means the water has evaporated) add the 3 Tbsp of flour and cook until lightly golden.
6. Remove bay leaves from the warmed milk and slowly, about 1/4 cup at a time, add the warm milk to the butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly to keep it smooth until you’ve added all the milk.
7. Add cheese to the saucepan and stir.
8. Pour the sauce over your pasta and stir to combine. Add salt & pepper to taste.
9. Pour pasta and sauce into 9×13 casserole you greased with the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter.
10. Sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs (and maybe a bit more cheese) and bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until the top is golden and crisp.

Serve baked macaroni and cheese with a green salad, or as a side dish to another weeknight dinner. Or wrap your casserole in foil and freeze for an oven-ready meal on a busy weeknight. Pop in the oven from frozen and add 40 minutes to the cooking time.

Nutrient Analysis

Per serving based on 6 servings

703 Calories
72 g Carbohydrates
39 g Protein
27 g Fat
2.7 g Fibre

We hope you enjoy this recipe for comforting baked macaroni and cheese!

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