Make Ahead

Creamy Mac n' Cheese

by:
November 14, 2011
5
2 Ratings
  • Makes one 9 x 13 pan
Author Notes

It's creamy. It's dreamy. It's macaroni and cheese! —mtlabor

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 pound fusili pasta
  • 1 ounce flour
  • 1 ounce unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot Spanish paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 3 cups gouda, shredded
  • 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup garlic bread crumbs
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, for topping
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
  1. Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain.
  2. Preheat oven to broil.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large, nonstick pot over medium high heat, add butter. Let it warm up and then whisk in flour, paprika, mustard powder, cayenne, and nutmeg. Cook for 1-2 minutes until it starts to turn a pale white. You've got the start of a white roux (except it'll be a tad red because of the paprika and the cayenne)!
  4. Slowly add little increments of the milk so the roux doesn't get lumpy, and once you have a smooth mixture, add the rest of the milk. Bring mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly. Cook until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and whisk in cream cheese and the gouda. It will melt without being on the burner.
  5. Mix cooked pasta with sauce and place into a greased baking dish. Top with the shredded cheddar cheese, breadcrumbs and parmesan. Broil until brown and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes.

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1 Review

Douglas B. April 1, 2015
delightful, I added some ground chili peppers