White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
This White Cheddar Mac and Cheese is about to become your family's new favorite weeknight dinner. It's perfectly creamy, smooth, and topped with breadcrumbs for the perfect crunch.
Yield: 8 people
Calories: 488kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb shell pasta or favorite pasta
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 tsp Adobo or your go-to all purpose seasoning
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp Dijon
- 16 oz sharp white cheddar cheese freshly shredded
- salt to taste
For the Bread Crumb Topping
- 4 slices bread (white, whole grain, whatever; preferably a little stale)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
For the Bread Crumb Topping
- Place the bread slices into a processor and pulse until crumbly.
- Dump into a bowl and add the salt, garlic powder, and butter. Stir until combined. Set aside while you prep everything else.
For the Pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt. (1 tbsp of table salt, or 1.5 tbsp of kosher salt). Add your pasta.
- Cook pasta 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil so it doesn't stick. Set aside while you prep the sauce.
For the Sauce
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a large pot over medium low heat, add the butter and melt. Once melted, add the flour. Whisk for about 3 minutes, until it's slightly thickened.
- Next, slowly add in the milk, ½ cup at a time, whisking to incorporate. Continue stirring as it thickens. Bring to a slight simmer, then lower the heat.
- Mix in all of the seasonings and mustard, except for the salt. Slowly add in the grated cheese, stirring to combine. Save a handful for the top.
- Once the cheese is incorporated, taste and season with salt if needed. Remove from the heat and stir in the pasta.
- Carefully dump into a lightly greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Top with remaining cheese and bread crumb topping.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is slightly golden. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before diving in.
Nutrition
Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 390mg | Potassium: 350mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 642IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 2mg