OMG! Mac & Cheese Casserole

Had to name it “OMG! Mac and Cheese” because after every bite you won’t be able to hold in your “OMG”s! This casserole is so good it’ll leave everyone wanting more!

Equipment:

• Large pot, non-stick
• 9×13 baking dish, greased
• Whisk

Ingredients:

• 12oz elbow macaroni – 1 package
• 1/4 cup, butter
• 1/4 cup, all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups, whole milk
• 1 cup, half and half
• 1 tsp., onion powder
• 1 tsp., garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp., dry mustard powder
• 4 cups, grated sharp cheddar cheese (3 cups for the casserole mixture, 1 cup for the topping)
• 1/2 cup, grated parmesan
• 1 can, condensed cheddar cheese soup (10oz)
• salt & pepper, to taste

Recipe:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• In a large pot (1), bring 16 cups of water to a boil. Elbow noodles expand quite a bit so a larger pot works best.
• Once boiling, add in pasta noodles – bring back to a boil for about 8 minutes. These will be going in the oven so try not overcook them at this stage. Leaving the noodles al dente is my recommendation.
• Drain noodles and set aside in strainer to cool.
• In same pot, melt butter over medium-heat.
• Once melted, whisk in flour. Whisk for about 2 mins.
• Slowly (2) whisk in milk, half and half, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt and pepper. Continue to whisk over medium-heat until mixture begins to thicken.
• Once thickened, remove from heat. Add in 3 cups, freshly (3) grated sharp cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese. Whisk until completely mixed.
• Once mixed, fold in cooled elbow noodles.
• Transfer into greased, 9×13 baking dish.
• Cover with remaining, 1 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese.
• Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese on-top is bubbling. Once removed, let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Tips:

• (1) I recommend using a non-stick pot, so once the pasta has been drained and set aside the roux and cheese mixture can be made in the same pot.
• (2) This step needs to be done slowly, if done too quickly OR too hot – the milk and half and half will curdle.
• (3) Freshly grating cheese is better than using pre-packaged shredded cheese. This is due to pre-shredded cheese being coated in cellulose and potato starch to ensure it does not clump in the packaging before use. These two ingredients cause the cheese to not fully melt when included in recipes and tend to leave an unfavorable taste.