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This is THE best creamy baked mac and cheese recipe.
I’ve been on a mission lately to conquer Macaroni and Cheese. Earlier in the year I was working out my pie dough issues, and I finally prevailed. (Results seen here.) Next up, I needed to grab Mac and Cheese by the hair, wrestle it to the ground, and scratch it’s eyes out. Or, you know, just learn how to make a creamy cheddar cheese sauce that wasn’t all grainy and gross.
Mission accomplished.
I asked for mac and cheese advice on my facebook page a couple of weeks ago and was directed to an Ina Garten recipe. I had that bad boy whipped up almost immediately and I fell in love.
Things got even stranger the next day when I reheated the leftovers for breakfast. What? Quit looking at me that way. I’m an adult and I’ll eat whatever I want for breakfast.
I only even attempted to reheat the macaroni and cheese because it was so delicious and creamy the first time. Usually mac and cheese does not reheat well at all and I just toss what we don’t eat in the garbage.
Surprise!
This creamy baked macaroni and cheese was even yummier reheated than it was the first day! It stayed creamy and moist, but the noodles did that thing that noodles do in the fridge overnight. You know. The magic thing. Where they get yummier.
Creamy mac and cheese recipe with a tomato surprise
Don’t freak out about the tomatoes on top of this yummy dish, either. I’ve tried it both ways, and the tomatoes really add something to the mac and cheese. You can certainly pick the slices off and not eat them, but they still contribute an amazing flavor to the whole dish.
I think of this as more of a grown up mac and cheese, because the flavors have a bit more depth from the use of Gruyere cheese instead of just straight cheddar. I also added Parmesan to the topping which really took that up a notch. My daughter still loved this “grown up” version just as much as the classic velveeta kind I sometimes make. Don’t judge.
My son? No. He doesn’t eat macaroni and cheese. As much as it pains me to say it, he doesn’t really like cheese that much.
When we have taco night, I grab the biggest handful of freshly grated cheddar and stuff it all on my taco. He, on the other hand, picks out one shred of cheese, tears it in half, and then puts one half on his taco and hands the other half to me. You think I’m joking or exagerating, but that is the truth, y’all. A half of a shred of cheese. It hurts my heart.
Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni or penne pasta
- 1 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 ounces Gruyere grated
- 6 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar grated
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 small fresh tomatoes sliced thinly
- 3/4 cups fresh white bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta for one minute less than package directions state. Drain.
- Heat the milk and cream in a small saucepan, but don't let it boil.
- Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium sized pot and add the flour. Cook, whisking constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes.
- Continue whisking and slowly pour in the hot milk and cream. Cook for another 2 minutes until thickened and smooth.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the Gruyere, Cheddar, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Add the cooked macaroni and stir to coat.
- Pour into a pie plate or other dish of similar size.
- Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top.
- Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and mix it with the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder. Sprinkle on top of the tomatoes.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the bread crumbs are brown and crispy.
Nutrition Information:
adapted from Ina Garten
Dana says
LOVE this! I want this right now. The whole pan.
Wendy says
You had me at nutmeg… ;o)
Cathy says
Can you tell me how to make (or get) ‘fresh’ white bread crumbs?
Karly says
@Cathy,
Sure! Just take the crust off of 5 slices of white bread and buzz them in a food processor. I’ve also used Panko with great results! 🙂
Wanda says
Do you have a rpiece for lasagna or chicken tetrazini or spinach casserole…well all of these are casseroles i guess…
Encore says
I finally got around to making this mac and cheese and I absolutely loved it! So did my daughter, so thank you! Of course, I had to share it all with my readers with a bunch of links back to you. Hopefully they come here and look at your wonderful pictures as opposed to my dark picture madness! 🙂 Thanks again!
nicole spaz says
I used to hate mac and cheese with bread crumbs on it but I think that was because I only had it that way at camp. I caved and had it at a restaurant one day… sooo good. your recipe reminds me of that!
Maria says
Oh yum! Love this mac ‘n cheese!
JulieD says
ooh must try then…because I haven’t found a homemade recipe that I like. And I love Ina!
LINDA PAYNE says
I too have a child that doesn’t like cheese and I cannot for life of me understand that!
Lindsay @ Pinch of Yum says
Ooooh K. That looks amazing. I love that the sauce is so creamy and cheesy.
Holly says
I may be in a cheese induced stupor right now….wow. This was absolutely amazing. I am not a fan of mac and cheese, and I was scared to add so much nutmeg, but it was sooooo amazing. Goodbye skinny jeans, you’ve been replaced by gruyere and pasta.
Joanne says
I LLLUUURRVVE tomato-y mac and cheese. Much the same way I LLUUURRVVE tomatoes in my grilled cheese. And though most mac and cheeses aren’t great the next day….I still find they’re pretty damn delicious. I’m betting this is especially so.
Heidi says
The half a shred of cheese kills me. I have always said that if I were to live off of one food the rest of my life it would be cheese. That isn’t cheating really, is it? Afterall there are so many fabulous varieties.
I don’t judge about the mac and cheese for breakfast. This morning I had leftover chicken and dumplings. My co-workers think I’m weird so I now try to eat breakfast on the sly when nobody is looking. The comments are snarky almost!
Debbie says
Half a shred of cheese? Oh, that poor boy. Polar opposite from my daughter. She’s three and she asks for cheese by name. “Mommy, can I have a slice of Havarti, please? Oh wait, I changed my mind. Can I have some provolone?”
The moral of my story is that I need to have this for breakfast tomorrow.
Blog is the New Black says
Loving this!