There's nothing quite like oven-baked Mac & Cheese. The crispy, buttery topping and the gooey cheese with pasta is so good. This recipe is full of tangy cheddar and creamy Gouda cheese with a bite of sriracha heat and a kick of spicy mustard.
Difficulty
Easy
Makes
6 Servings
Tools
Sauce Pot (Large)
Sauce Pot (medium)
Baking Dish 9x13
Time
Prep Time 30 min.
Cook Time 30 min.
Total Time 1 hour
The How To Do It
Heat your oven to 400°.
Bring a sauce pan of heavily salted water to boil. You need just enough water to cover the pasta and we are using only half the package. In a medium-sized sauce pan, you should it will be about half full (I have no idea how many ounces but I am guessing about 1 1/2 quarts).
While you are waiting on the water to boil, dice you onion and mince your garlic.
Make the topping for the mac & cheese (I like to make it before I get too involved with the rest of this - the recipe follows this one).
Once that is done melt the butter in a large sauce pot.
Add the onions and start sauteing them until they start to soften (5 minutes or a little more) and start to become pale in color then add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the flour and stir constantly, coating the vegetables, until the roux (or gravy as we call it in the south) starts to turn a medium tan (I know really specific here), think a little lighter than a paper grocery bag.
Once the roux is the color you want, add the cream and stir until everything is combined and you have a smooth and creamy sauce.
Add the cheeses and do the same as with the cream. This time it will make a much thicker sauce. If it is too think you can add more cream (or I usually add whole milk to thin it if it needs it).
Add the remaining ingredients (Worcestershire, sriracha, stone ground mustard, granulated garlic, salt, and pepper) and once again combine thoroughly.
Now that you have finished the bechamel (fancy word for gravy with cheese in it), remove it from the heat and set it aside.
Add the pasta to the water and cook per the instructions on the package. For me it ends up being right at 8 minutes.
Once the pasta has cooked and been drained, add it to the sauce pot with the cheese sauce and mix everything together.
Poor the mixture into a backing dish and cover with the cheese and breadcrumb topping and bake for 15-20 minutes. It could be a little more or a little less depending on your oven so keep an eye on it. The topping should turn a nice golden brown.
The Topping
Melt the butter (you can microwave this).
Grate the Parmesan cheese (you can use bagged/pre-grated for this - I won't judge).
Combine all the ingredients together in a small mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
Spread evenly over the dish and bake until the breadcrumbs get golden brown.