Mac and Cheese – Baked
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 kg cavatappi pasta (or pasta of your choice)
- 4 pkgs lardons (400g)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 4 garlic cloves
- 5 cups milk (whole milk works well)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- bit of nutmeg
- bit of cayenne (less than nutmeg)
- 900 g cheese, grated (can use a mix of raclette, gouda, comté, & a bit of emmental, + cheddar is always good)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Crunchy Topping
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs (or crushed cornflakes works well)
Instructions
- Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions.
- Cook lardons until crispy. Remove from pan.
- (Leftover grease can be used for next step in addition to some butter)
- *If using a large enough cooking vessel (like a large dutch oven), you can do everything following in this one pot, rather than buttering the pan & mixing everything separately.
- Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk and cook 2-3 minutes. Add in salt and pepper, nutmeg & cayenne.
- Add garlic and cook a minute.
- Slowly pour in 4 c. milk whisking until smooth and heating to a low boil until thickened. Do not stop until thick. Remove from heat.
- Grease a 9×13″ baking dish and add the hot pasta to the dish. Over the top sprinkle 6 c. of freshly shredded cheese. Pour the thickened cream sauce over the hot pasta and cheese and let it sit until the cheese melts. Stir everything together (lardons included).
- *If doing in one-pot/large dutch oven: Mix the cheese into the roux until mostly melted and mixed well. Add lardons & pasta.
- Melt 2 T. butter over medium heat. Add in panko bread crumbs, stirring constantly 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Pour over the mac and cheese.
- Bake in a preheated 325°F / 160°C degree oven 15 minutes.