Mac and Cheese
When it comes to comfort food, Mac & Cheese has got to be on the top of the list for me. I try not to make it too often, because I always end up eating more than I should. But when I feel like splurging, this easy recipe is worth every delicious calorie. Whether you call it Mac n Cheese or Macaroni and Cheese, my recipe starts over the stovetop, but then I bake it in the end so that it forms a nice crispy layer of cheese on top. (No need for bread crumbs.)
Ingredients
Instructions
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To make this Mac and Cheese Recipe
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place cooked pasta in large bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil over them and mix, to keep the noodles from sticking together.
In saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, then add flour and stir, allowing it to cook for one minute. Add half of the milk and continue to stir until sauce begins to thicken. Add remaining milk and continue stirring until sauce is smooth. When it comes to a simmer, add chicken stock and stir until everything is well combined and you have a smooth sauce. Add salt, garlic powder, chile powder, and ground pepper and stir until seasonings have dissolved into the sauce. Then add in approx. 3 cups of grated cheese a little at a time and stir until melted. Finally, add in softened cream cheese and stir until fully melted. Remove sauce from stove and pour over cooked pasta. Mix well so that sauce fully covers macaroni.
Lightly grease an oven-safe casserole dish. Pour mac & cheese into dish. Layer extra grated cheddar cheese as you go, and end with extra grated cheddar cheese on top. Bake at 350ยบ for 35-40 minutes. (Set oven to Broil the final few minutes of baking time, if you like top to turn golden brown and cheese to get crispy on top.)
