Homemade Creamy Macaroni & Cheese w/ Buttery Crispy Topping

Ok ya’ll I made this Mac and cheese per my son’s request for his birthday. He has high metabolism and is a bouncing ball of energy. He can afford every ounce of goodness in this dish. It’s creamy, gooey and bold in flavor - all that you want in a mac and cheese. The topping is addictive-Make it, take a pic of it and tag me! Here it is folks! I have to give credit where credit is due! I modified this recipe from @momontimeout.com Homemade Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 8 oz elbow macaroni, cooked (or other tubular pasta)

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1 tblsp all purpose flour

• 1.5 cups 2% or whole milk

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

• 2.5 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded

• 1.5 cup Gruyere cheese shredded

• salt and pepper to taste

Crispy Topping:

• 3/4 cup panko crumbs

• 4 tbsp butter melted

• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or regular)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a large 2.5-3qt baking dish and set aside. Combine shredded cheeses in a large bowl and set aside.
Cook the pasta one minute shy of al dente according to the package instructions. Remove from heat, drain, and place in a large bowl.
Drizzle pasta with olive oil and stir to coat pasta. Set aside to cool while preparing cheese sauce.

Melt 3 tblsp butter in a deep saucepan. Whisk in flour over medium heat and continue whisking for about 1 minute until bubbly and golden.
Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until nice and smooth. Continue whisking until you see bubbles on the surface and then continue cooking and whisking for another 2 minutes. Whisk in salt and pepper.

Add three cups of shredded cheese and whisk until smooth. Sauce should start to get nice and thick.
Stir in the cooled pasta until combined and pasta is fully coated with the cheese sauce.

Pour half of the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese and then the remaining mac and cheese.

For topping, In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter and paprika. bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tags: #novafoodies #gamedayfood