BAKED, CRUNCHY-TOPPING, MAC N CHEESE
Not your everyday mac n cheese, this recipe is very rich. It is just a tad spicy with the red pepper and dijon mustard. Even with the little bit of spice it is still child friendly. And delicious! I grate my cheese (slowly at that!) so your prep time will be less if you used shredded-from-the-package cheese. You can use unsalted butter in the sauce. If you use regular butter but prefer less salt, then just cut back a bit on the salt listed in the ingredients.
Provided by Lisanne
Categories < 4 Hours
Time 1h20m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Grease a 3-quart shallow baking dish.
- Bring a pot of salted water (Who wants bland pasta?) to boil for the macaroni.
- The yummy topping: Melt 2 T unsalted butter
- In a bowl stir melted butter together with crushed Ritz and 1 cup cheddar until well combined. This can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
- The yummy sauce: In a 5-quart heavy saucepan melt 3 T butter over med low heat.
- Stir in flour and red pepper flakes.
- Stir about 3 minutes and whisk in milk.
- Bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly.
- Simmer, whisking occasionally, for about 3 minutes or so.
- Stir in the cream, the 4 cups of cheddar, mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Remove pan from heat and cover surface of sauce with wax paper.
- Cook macaroni in boiling water, al dente. (per package instructions)
- Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
- Drain macaroni.
- Return the macaroni to the pot (off the burner) and mix together the macaroni, reserved cooking water, and the sauce. (The sauce does stick a bit to the wax paper when removed)
- Transfer macaroni mixture to baking dish.
- Sprinkle topping evenly over the macaroni and bake on middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown and bubbling.
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Ssali Skyla
[email protected]This mac and cheese is a party in my mouth!
Dina Teferi
[email protected]This recipe is a lifesaver! I always have the ingredients on hand and it's so easy to make.
Ghulam Sakhi 333
[email protected]I made this mac and cheese for my kids and they loved it! They ate it all up.
Morie Pinder
[email protected]This is the perfect comfort food! It's cheesy, creamy, and crunchy all at the same time.
Oyama Mdoda
[email protected]I'm not a big fan of mac and cheese, but this recipe changed my mind! It's so delicious and flavorful.
ukor munachi
[email protected]This mac and cheese is a family favorite! We make it all the time.
7anifa Nn
[email protected]I love this recipe! It's so easy to make and it always turns out perfectly.
Jaweriya Hussain
[email protected]This is the best mac and cheese I've ever had! The cheese sauce is so creamy and flavorful, and the crunchy topping is the perfect finishing touch.
Josphat Kochere
[email protected]I wasn't sure about the crunchy topping at first, but it really made the dish. It added a nice crunch and flavor that I wouldn't have expected.
lorraine melendez
[email protected]This recipe is a keeper! I've made it several times and it's always a hit.
crz-8
[email protected]I made this mac and cheese for a potluck and it was a huge success! Everyone loved it.
Phaki Begum
[email protected]OMG! This mac and cheese is amazing! The crunchy topping is everything.
Ricardo Moloantoa
[email protected]This mac and cheese was a hit with my family! The crunchy topping added a nice texture and flavor contrast to the creamy cheese sauce. I will definitely be making this again.