Baked Mac n’ Cheese

I’m going to take a break from posting about our Seattle/Portland trip and post a recipe. This recipe was inspired by our Seattle trip since we picked up some yummy homemade pasta at Pike’s Place last weekend.The large stand we bought it from was totally overwhelming with dozens of flavors of homemade pasta laying out for you to choose from. They had everything ranging from chocolate pasta to southwestern pasta (aka some pieces tasted like corn, some like peppers, etc)- check out all the flavors here. We ended up purchasing the ‘Chive Garlic Sea Shells’ because Wyatt was sold on it the minute the guy said it worked great with homemade macaroni and cheese.

And to be completely honest, the guy was totally right. This bake was beyond perfect on a chilling Friday night. The mounds of gooey cheese paired perfectly with the garlic and chive flavor of the pasta. Not to mention, the crusty top made for a perfect crunch in every bite. It’s so funny because I always forget to make simple things like homemade mac n cheese since I’m always looking to try something new but it’s these comfort foods that always turn out the best. I realize that you can buy Kraft at the grocery store for 1.50 but this recipe is so spectacular that I feel a little guilty even giving it the same name as the boxed version.

Baked Mac N’ Cheese

Adapted from Simply Scratch

  • 8 ounces of noodles (traditionally it would be elbow but we used shells)
  • 1/4 cup onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 Tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 Tablespoons cream cheese
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup colby jack cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
  • salt and pepper
  • parmesan cheese, to sprinkle on top

First, prepare the pasta according to it’s packaged directions. Preheat oven to 400.

Next, in a large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the onions and saute until translucent (about five minutes). Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Then add in the flour and stir for one more minute. Turn heat up to medium-high and add in the cream and milk. Let the mixture come to a simmer and then turn it back down to medium. Add in the cream cheese, cheddar, colby, dried mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted and then remove from heat.

Add in the noodles and stir until everything is well combined. Pour into the remekins (I only had 2 little remekins so I also used a little baking dish for the extra) and cook for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

Let cool because this baby is hoooooot. And then munch down along with a small salad or french bread.

Comment

6 Comments

  • leroywatson4
    May 14, 2012

    Hello VV,
    Mac and Cheese will be one of our treat dishes before we go raw in June. Cheese, with cheese, topped with cheese (and a bit of pasta). YES.
    We love your blog and your dedication to all things delicious!
    The Beach House Kitchen has nominated you for a
    ‘Versatile Blogger Award’ (http://versatilebloggeraward.wordpress.com/).
    The Versatile Blogger Award is a great way of meeting other like-minded bloggers and getting folk to have a look at your pages (I believe it is known as ‘traffic’).
    The rules for the Versatile Blogger are as follows:
    If you are nominated, you’ve been awarded the Versatile Blogger award.
    -Thank the person who gave you this award
    -Include a link to their blog
    -Select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly
    -Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award
    -Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself
    Thats it!
    Congratulations and happy blogging,
    Lee and JaneX
    http://www.thebeachhousekitchen.wordpress.com

  • Erina
    May 22, 2012

    How do I love Mac & Cheese, let me count the ways!

  • sistersizzle
    July 18, 2012

    Reblogged this on The Sisterhood of the Sizzling Pans and commented:
    just what i needed to see today, i’ve been feeling SUPER mac and cheese-y lately!

  • David Plowman
    July 26, 2012

    Haven’t tried mac and cheese yet but have blogged three Parpadelle pasta dishes recently…Calypso Salad, Chipotle/Blackbean Pasta Salad and my favorite for creativity, Chocolate Fettucinne Marshmallow Peanut Sundaes.You can find these recipes at http://www.platesandpalates.blogspot.com Thanks for sharing!

    David Plowman
    Foodbuzz buddie 😉

  • Butternut Squash Mac N' Cheese with Gingersnap Crust | V
    February 19, 2013

    […] and cheese is the ultimate comfort food for me. I made a Baked version after returning from Portland / Seattle last spring and made a delicious Vegan version over the […]

  • Debs/Prom Dresses
    March 11, 2013

    Hi! I simply want to give you a huge thumbs up for the excellent info you
    have right here on this post. I am returning to your blog for more soon.

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