Weeknight Baked Mac and Cheese
Mac and Cheese is definitely a staple meal in my house. I have been trying to perfect a homemade mac and cheese to rival my son’s favorite restaurant mac and cheese and this one has fit the bill. It is easy enough to make on a weeknight but makes enough to last for lunches the next day or a repeat dinner. Perfect for meal prep or to bring to a potluck. I like to top mine with some extra shredded cheese but bread crumbs would also be excellent or you can just eat it from the pot and skip the extra step of baking. All versions are good. Use my bechamel recipe to start then add more milk, grated cheese, and cream cheese. I highly recommend you grate the cheese yourself because it will melt better. You can omit the cream cheese if you don’t have it but it adds a nice light tanginess. We like the basic version but the sky is the limit here because I could see caramelized onions with gruyere or pickled jalapenos being a great addition with this basic recipe.
Ingredients:
1 The Best Bechamel recipe
2 cups milk of choice, I prefer whole milk
16 oz pasta cooked al dente
4 oz plain cream cheese
3 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or cheese of your preference) plus more for topping if you like a cheesy top
Recipe:
Make the bechamel sauce, add the extra milk, cream cheese and grated cheese and stir to melt the cheese into the sauce. Taste for salt.
Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. You can cook for a few minutes in the pot over medium low and then serve directly or pour the pasta into a buttered baking dish and top with more shredded cheese (or bread crumbs, pickled jalapenos, or caramelized onions etc) and bake uncovered at 350 F for about 20 minutes or until the top is starting to brown.
