Baked Mac and Cheese: Cheesy and Creamy Perfection

#macandcheese #recipe #macaroni
A good homemade mac and cheese recipe is a must-have! It’s creamy, cheesy, and always a crowd favorite at any gathering. Once you make it from scratch, you’ll never want the boxed kind again.

🖨️ FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE
Baked Mac and Cheese: https://villacocina.com/baked-mac-and-cheese/

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✦ Mac and Cheese Recipe ✦
1 lb elbow macaroni pasta : https://amzn.to/3LAJ2Vm

→ Cheese Sauce
1 lb medium cheddar cheese, grated
1 lb Gouda cheese, grated
1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, grated
3 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
3 tbsp all-purpose flour : https://amzn.to/3phkDgE
12 oz evaporated milk : https://amzn.to/3VPkMoI
2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1 tsp smoked paprika : https://amzn.to/3GPY1IQ
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp garlic powder : https://amzn.to/3GKiSwW
1 tsp onion powder : https://amzn.to/3xf7TZh
1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste : https://amzn.to/4mWKwL9
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste : https://amzn.to/3AScyAc

→ Additional
Kosher salt as needed
1 tbsp avocado oil : https://amzn.to/34oS6f1
Fresh parsley, chopped

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[Music] I love bringing a really good baked mac and cheese to family gatherings, cookouts. The holidays, you guys are coming up and this is the perfect side dish. People who typically don’t like it will come back for seconds. Let’s cook the pasta. I’ve got a large pot 3/4 of the way filled with water and we’re going to bring that to a rolling boil. While that’s happening, I am going to butter a 9 by13 in casserole. And I am using unsalted butter. I think I’m going to have to brush it because it’s a little too soft. Just make sure you get that bottom, the sides. Generously salt the water. We’re doing about a tablespoon. I will be using one pound of elbow macaroni pasta. Now, I like to use chickpea. It makes a 1:1 ratio swap. This is the brand that I use, but you can use regular pasta. Now, you’re going to cook it according to the packages instructions. Leave it al dente, slightly undercooked. It should still have a bite to it. Give it a quick stir, making sure that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Pasta is done. I’m going to remove half a cup of the water. Now, strain it. I’m going to drizzle the pasta with about a tablespoon of avocado oil. Just an oil that’s neutral in flavor. Make sure that it gets tossed in it. This is just so that it doesn’t stick to each other. Then I’m going to transfer it onto a half sheet pan so that it cools down faster and it won’t overcook. Arrange it in a single layer. I’ve got all of my cheese grated, ready to go. The best thing you can do with this recipe is prep your ingredients ahead of time. I’ve got a pound of medium cheddar, a pound of Gouda cheese, and half a pound of low moisture mozzarella cheese. Grate it yourself. Do not get the pre-graded stuff. I know it sounds easy, but it’s got added ingredients that are just going to throw things off. Mix this in, making sure everything is evenly distributed. Separate the cheese into two equal portions. We’re talking a pound 4 oz because part of it is going to go into the sauce and the other part is going to get layered in the dish. Go ahead and preheat the oven to 350° F. Now, in a large pot or Dutch oven, melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium low heat. That’s the sweet spot for me. It gives me time to work without rushing, but you can bump it up to medium if needed. Once the butter’s melted, sprinkle in three tablespoons of allpurpose flour and whisk until smooth. Keep whisking for about a minute, allowing the root to turn lightly golden. Now, slowly pour in 1 12 oz can of evaporated milk while whisking constantly. The mixture will start to thicken quickly, so keep it moving until all the milk is fully incorporated and smooth. Then, whisk in two cups of heavy cream that’s not too cold. If needed, let it sit out for about 10 to 15 minutes before using. Cold cream can shock the sauce as well as make it take longer to thicken. Pour it in a slow, steady stream while whisking to keep it smooth and creamy. Season with one teaspoon each of smoked paprika, mustard powder, garlic powder, and onion powder, plus 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Whisk well to combine. Let the sauce gently simmer on medium low heat for 3 to 5 minutes as you continue to whisk until it thickens to the consistency of light gravy. You’ll know it’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon. If you run your finger through it, it should leave a clean line. That’s called nape. Now, as you’ve noticed, you must whisk constantly the entire time we are making the sauce. Lower the heat to low, then gradually stir in half of your cheese, adding a little at a time and letting each addition melt before adding the next one. You’re looking for a velvety smooth sauce that still has a little movement. It should drape down, not sit heavy. If the sauce is too thick, stir in one to two tablespoons of pasta water. Just keep in mind it is salted. Or you could even do heavy cream to loosen it up. If you end up not needing the salted pasta water, you can just toss it out. Turn off the heat in. Add your cooked pasta and stir until every piece is coated in that luscious cheesy sauce. Give it a taste and add more salt or black pepper if needed. It’s important to season it well. Baking dish is out. Let’s do half of that mac and cheese. I’m going to bring this closer. still nice and warm so that you can layer it beautifully because you know as it cools it will thicken up a bit more. But this is the perfect consistency. Let’s do half of the remaining cheese, the one we said was for layering, and just top it more like filling the remainder of the mac and cheese. That’s what I’m talking about. Remainda of the cheese. And that’s it. We’re going to bake it for 15 to 20 minutes or until it is fully heated through, the top cheese has melted, and the edges are lightly bubbling. Finally, to get that nice browning on top, do about 3 minutes of high broil. Just keep an eye on it. You don’t want to overdo it. Smells so good, you guys. We’re going to let this rest for 5 minutes. For a pop of color and freshness, sprinkle some chopped parsley on top. It really brightens the dish. This mac and cheese is one to keep on hand. It’s creamy, cozy, and seriously crowdpleasing. I love bringing it to family gatherings because it always ends up being one of the most talked about dishes. It’s so delicious and nothing complicated about it. [Music] Mac and cheese. It feels like the holidays are here, man. It smells so good. Like the cheese. Yes. Gosh. Nelson’s been craving it since it was in the oven already. M. This is like a snack. A snack. This is so good, you guys. Homemade mac and cheese. You can’t beat it. You cannot beat it. Nelson over here. I was never a fan of mac and cheese. Mhm. Cuz I had tried it before with um flavor kind of cheese, but it’s Yeah, it was not good. Wow. Are you talking about the the box kind probably? So, this I tasted a couple of times. This is a whole other deal. So good, you guys. So, I’ve started to bring it to gatherings and everybody says the same thing. They never liked mac and cheese, but when they tasted this one, it’s just because I mean, come on. I gotta say though, the chickpea pasta also makes a difference. I’m a big big fan of chickpea pasta. And this is amazing because this recipe works both with chickpea and regular pasta. So, I can just switch it up whenever I need to. But I’ve never had to. I always use chickpea. Nobody can tell the difference, you guys. I’m telling you, cheaper past is way better. Mhm. This is a 10 star. There you go. Go write our recipes on via cosina.com where you can find the full printable recipe, details, pictures, everything. You name it. All right, don’t forget to subscribe, like this video, and we will see you on the next one. Thank you so much for watching everyone. Bye. [Music]