Description
A classic comfort food recipe featuring creamy cheese sauce, tender elbow macaroni, and a golden crispy breadcrumb topping that delivers the perfect all-American mac and cheese experience.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz Elbow macaroni
- 2 cups Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 cups Whole milk
- 4 tbsp Unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup All-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Cook elbow macaroni in salted boiling water until al dente; drain and set aside
- Make Roux: In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes until golden
- Create Sauce: Gradually whisk in milk, stirring until the sauce thickens. Stir in cheddar cheese until melted
- Combine: Combine cooked pasta with cheese sauce until well-coated
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Transfer mixture to a baking dish and sprinkle panko breadcrumbs on top
- Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and golden brown
Notes
- Cook pasta one minute less than package directions since it continues cooking in the oven
- Add milk gradually while whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming in your sauce
- Remove sauce from heat before adding cheese to prevent it from becoming stringy or grainy
- Let the dish rest for 5 minutes after baking to allow the sauce to thicken properly
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 485 calories
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
Keywords: all american mac cheese, homemade mac and cheese, comfort food, baked mac and cheese, classic recipe, family dinner