Description
My Easy Baked Mac and Cheese is creamy, cheesy, and topped with a golden, crispy breadcrumb layer. Perfect for family dinners, it combines elbow pasta with a rich cheese sauce made from cheddar and Parmesan. This comforting dish is simple, satisfying, and brings everyone together.
Ingredients
Scale
- 300g elbow macaroni
- 50g unsalted butter
- 50g all-purpose flour
- 500ml whole milk
- 200ml double cream
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 250g mature cheddar cheese, grated
- 50g Parmesan cheese, grated
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 100g breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- Pinch of smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease a baking dish.
- Cook pasta slightly underdone, drain, and set aside.
- Melt butter in a saucepan, stir in flour, cook 1–2 min.
- Gradually whisk in warm milk and cream until thickened.
- Remove from heat, stir in cheeses, mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Combine pasta with cheese sauce.
- Mix breadcrumbs with melted butter and paprika; sprinkle on top.
- Bake 20–25 min until golden and bubbling.
- Serve hot.
Notes
Warm milk prevents lumps. Freshly grated cheese melts better. Make ahead by assembling a day in advance; bake before serving. Reheat covered with foil, adding a splash of milk if dry.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 80mg