Baked Mac 'n Cheese

Hello again!

It's been a while since I last posted on my blog, and the reason being is because I simply haven't been cooking! This Ramadan, hubby and I hosted 3 iftars and I was simply sick and tired of cooking after all those iftars, so I literally didn't cook for about a week straight! It was a nice little break, but, as always, good things must come to an end.

Still tired from all the cooking I did, I wanted a dinner that was easy to put together, would last us a few days, and was still a classic. And mac 'n cheese it was! Not to mention Dana Elhertani wanted a mac 'n cheese recipe up on my blog, so I'd be lying if I said this dinner wasn't inspired by her (hi Dana 💓).

Baked Mac 'n Cheese

This dish can easily be served "unbaked." Meaning, you can serve it immediately after you mix the creamy cheese mixture into the pasta as a standard mac 'n cheese dish. We wanted that added crunch to the mac 'n cheese so that's why I added panko breadcrumbs on top. Either way, this dish is a winner!

BAKED MAC 'N CHEESE
Yields: one 9x13 baking dish

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound of elbow pasta
- half a stick of butter
- 1/4 cup of flour
- 2 cups of whole milk
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup of shredder mild cheddar cheese
- 3 teaspoons of ground mustard
- 3 teaspoons of salt
- 2 teaspoons of black pepper
- 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- panko breadcrumbs (if making baked mac 'n cheese)
- extra cheese (if making baked mac 'n cheese)

TO MAKE:
1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. In a big saucepan over medium heat, melt down the butter. Add in the flour and whisk together and constantly until the flour dissolves into the butter.
3. Add in the milk and heavy cream and whisk everything together.
4. Slowly add in the cheese, a handful at a time, and continue whisking until all the cheese is in the saucepan and is melted and smooth.
5. Add in all your seasonings and whisk to combine.
6. Add in the cooked pasta. Toss the pasta around in the creamy cheese mixture until all of the pasta is coated with cheese. If you want your mac 'n cheese creamier or cheesier, simply drizzle in more heavy cream or sprinkle in more cheese to your liking and mix around.
7. Serve immediately.
8. If making baked mac 'n cheese, butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish. Add in the mac 'n cheese from the saucepan and spread it out into a nice, even layer. 
9. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs all over the top of the pasta and sprinkle in some cheese as well. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven until the top of the mac 'n cheese is lightly browned and the cheese has melted.
10. Serve immediately. Enjoy!