Comfort Food Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Dear Creatives, The Baked Macaroni & Cheese recipe I tried turned out great! I had to share as you might like to try it yourself. Especially if you didn’t read the post where I shared all the recipes I’ll be trying & about meal planning (meal planning post) The only changes I made to the baked macaroni & cheese recipes was to decrease the cheese a little bit as my box of macaroni was only 3 cups not 4, but maybe I could of used it all to make it cheesier? For us it was perfect, mildly cheesy, mildly flavored & tasted, oh so good! I substituted Tilamook Cheese for the Sharp Cheddar Cheese giving the baked macaroni & cheese a milder flavor. I also used Panko bread crumbs for topping giving it that nice bit of texture to certain bites.
I think the prep time was more than 15 min. Shredding the cheese would of gone faster using the food processor. But, it was making the white sauce for adding the cheese that takes the most time. I just followed the directions & all went smoothly. This is not a one pot meal as far as dishes used goes. One to boil, one for sauce making, one for baking. As far as greasing the baking dish I used a non stick spray. I think you’ll love trying this baked macaroni & cheese recipe for yourself!
We are a family of three (at this point) so we had left overs for lunches, yummy!
Make noodles ahead of time according to package & add a little butter so they don’t stick together. Make white sauce & add cheese according to recipe, then mix together. Spray your baking dish & add macaroni & cheese mixture then top with bread crumbs & bake. It’s easier than you think! You’ll never buy a box of macaroni & cheese again, maybe! ?
Comfort Food Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 3/4 cup butter divided
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4-1/2 cups milk
- 4 cups 16 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used Tilamook & reduced by 1/2 c)
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs I used Panko bread crumbs
- I used non stick spray for greasing pan
Instructions
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Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, saute the onion in 1/2 cup butter. Add the flour; whisk until blended. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened. Stir in the cheese, mustard, salt and pepper until smooth.
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Drain macaroni and add to sauce; stir until coated. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Melt the remaining butter; toss with bread crumbs. Sprinkle over macaroni mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 6-8 servings.
Recipe Notes
My macaroni box had only 3 cups so I reduced the amount of cheese. I also used Tilamook Cheese instead of Sharp cheddar giving it a milder flavor. I used Panko extra crispy bread crumbs for topping. I also used a non stick spray when greasing pan.
This will easily serve six people, maybe 8 if some are children.
Do you have a favorite Macaroni & Cheese recipe?
What is your favorite comfort food?
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Cheese! i love cheese! found your blog at a bloggy moms’ blog hop..im a new follower.. 🙂
Hi Sally, Glad to have you as a new follower & can’t wait to get to know you better! I hope you get a chance to try the recipe.
This sounds so good! Do you think it would freeze? Trying to stock up the deep freezer before Sweet P is born =)
I thought about freezing some for quick night meals but, haven’t tried yet. I’ll look a bit & let you know if I see if others have. Maybe someone will chime in about freezing it.
Yum! Mac and Cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods! This looks delicious!
It was yummy! Thanks for dropping by! Hope you have a great weekend!
Mac n Cheese is a family favorite and I would love to get them away from the cardboard boxed variety!
Following from Friendship Friday hop at Create With Joy! :O)
Hi LuAnn, I Thanks for your visit & I know what you mean. Thanks so much for the follow & can’t wait to get to know you better. Be over to visit soon.
Macaroni and cheese is my all time favorite comfort food!
Hi Ellen, After trying this recipe, it is topping my list in comfort foods! Thanks for your visit & taking the time to comment.
That looks so creamy and comforting! Mac & cheese is one of my ultimate favorites. I also use panko on the top…I tried it one time and have done it ever since. Thank you for linking up to the Weekend Kitchen Party…I hope you’ll come back and link up another recipe or kitchen craft this weekend.
Hi Brandie, Thanks for dropping by! I can’t wait to visit again & link up again. PS you are always welcome to link up here too.