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old fashioned baked mac and cheese closeup (photo credit: Varda Epstein)

Old Fashioned Baked Mac and Cheese

This classic baked macaroni and cheese casserole dish is topped with buttery cornflake crumbs. Don’t be daunted by the necessity of making a cheese sauce from scratch. It’s really not that difficult, and the creamy results are well worth the extra effort.
Course lunch
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 16 ounces elbow macaroni
  • 9 tablespoons butter
  • 6 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup cream
  • 2 cups milk
  • ½ teaspoon salt (plus more for the pasta cooking water)
  • ¼ teaspoons ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoons ground mustard
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 8 ounces gouda cheese, shredded
  • 8 ounces white or mild cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2 cups cornflake crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika

Instructions
 

  • Grease a large casserole dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter, set aside.  Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Fill a large pot with 2 quarts of water. Add a scant handful of salt. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Add the macaroni, and boil until al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.
  • In a large saucepan, melt the butter on medium-low heat.
  • Whisk in the flour and raise the heat to medium. Whisk until the mixture turns golden.
  • Whisk in the cream and the milk. Turn heat up to medium-high. Whisk until mixture begins to thicken. When the sauce coats the back of a spoon, turn the heat down to medium.
  • Whisk in the salt, black pepper, ground mustard, and cayenne pepper. 
  • Turn off the heat and stir in both cheeses, one handful at a time.
  • Add the drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Place the pasta mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top to level.
  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • In a separate bowl, stir the paprika into the cornflake crumbs and paprika, then add the melted butter and stir thoroughly to coat the crumbs. 
  • Top the macaroni and sauce mixture with the prepared crumb mixture, and spread the topping lightly, to even it out.
  • Bake the macaroni for 30-45 minutes or until as crusty and brown as desired. 

Notes

The macaroni is ready to eat once it's mixed with the made-from-scratch cheese sauce. It just won't be BAKED macaroni and cheese, with all that lovely crust and crunch. But for those who can't wait for a taste or are on the run, the "unbaked" version of mac and cheese is pretty delicious, too.
Keyword mac and cheese