Jen's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Submitted by JenniferK2

"I am very picky about mac n cheese - I won't touch that stuff in the box. I like it to be creamy, yet do not like the flavor of the "processed" cheese which makes it creamy. I played around with this quite a bit to get the right blend of creaminess and flavor, along with the topping I prefer on my mac n cheese."

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 13
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 226.79 g elbow macaroni
• 59.14 ml flour
• 59.14 ml butter
• 709.77 ml milk
• 14.79 ml dry mustard
• 4.92 ml salt
• 1.23 ml pepper
• 2.46 ml paprika
• 59.14 ml onion, finely chopped
• 354.88 ml sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 226.79 g Velveeta cheese, cubed

• Topping

• 29.58 ml butter
• 118.29 ml breadcrumbs

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 2 quart casserole dish.
2. Cook macaroni al dente; drain.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat; stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard, paprika and onion until smooth. Gradually stir in milk.
4. Bring to a boil, strirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in Velveeta and 1 C cheddar until smooth.
5. Fold macaroni into cheese sauce and pour into casserole. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar.
6. For topping, melt butter and toss with bread crumbs to coat. Sprinkle mixture over macaroni. Bake 30-40 minutes until brown and bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Reviews

[PalatablePastime]

Wonderful! You know, I tasted the sauce before it went into the oven and I thought "Oh no! It tastes like too much mustard!" But in it went (what could I do at that point anyway?) As it baked, a wonderful smell began to fill the kitchen, and by the time it was done, the flavor of the mustard had mellowed to the point where it perfectly accented the cheese. I think this will be my "go to" recipe for mac and cheese! Definitely a keeper. Thank you.

 

[eas1978]

So delicious! Fortunately, I had almost everything on hand. I one and a halved everything except the cheddar and mustard, and it fit nicely in a 9x13. The first bite made my husband say, "Oh. You need to make this again." This is a tremendous recipe and very easy.

 

[Anonymous]

A great twist to traditional mac and cheese. It was the first time I made it and everyone loved it at the BBQ potluck I brought it to. I didn't have velveta cheese or paprika, but added crushed red cayenne peppers to give it that kick.

 

[evelynathens]

LOVED this mac and cheese - very creamy and deliciious. We don't have velveeta in Greece. I used processed cheddar cheese slices and also a hefty fistful of parmesan, simply because I love parmesan in everything pasta. A keeper for us.

 

[luvinmykids]

Loved this!! I did make a few changes... Didn't have dry mustard, so used a squirt of prepared mustard. Didn't have paprika. Didn't use the onion. Used only 1 cup of cheese - and that was plenty - and it was a mix of colby, mild cheddar and Monterey Jack. Also, didn't use bread crumbs - used crushed saltine crackers. My Velveeta was past date a little, but I still used it and it turned out great! Thanks for this recipe, this was the first time I have ever made homemade mac-n-cheese. (Way better than MIL's version, which is just cooking macaroni and melting cheese and milk over it after it cooks.)