Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe With Sharp Cheddar and Colby Jack Cheese

Author:
dappledesigns
Updated:
Jan 19, 2012

Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese is always a chilly weather favorite

There was a day in our house that I had mentioned "I am really craving mac and cheese", and my fiancé excitedly responded with "me too, will you make it?" As I said yes, he acted like I had just given him the key to a buried treasure, excited and saying how he just couldn't wait. Dumbfounded why he would be so excited about me making mac and cheese, I went out to the kitchen and grabbed the blue box we all know so well from the way back of the pantry. As I put the water on to boil, my fiancé came shuffling out to the kitchen to check things out, and was devastated at what he saw on the counter. Come to find out... he meant homemade baked mac and cheese (hence the excitement) and I was making him boxed mac and cheese. As he was telling me about all of the other amazing baked mac and cheese recipes, I decided to take what I had read, heard and tasted and rearrange the ingredients to suit both of our tastes. I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy it in our household.

I always shred the cheddar cheese myself right before making this dish. It ensures a much more even melt when adding it to the roux, and tastes much better because the cheddar has a much bolder taste

How To Make A Roux

Ingredients:

4 Cups Elbow Macaroni
6 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 Cups Cubed Colby Jack Cheese
4 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Flour
2 Cups Milk
2 Teaspoons Pepper
1/2 Cup Italian Style Bread Crumbs

Directions:

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Preheat oven to 350 Degrees
Boil the elbow noodles until the are al dente - it is important not to overcook the noodles
Create a roux (see video) using the butter and the flour
Add the milk and the pepper and keep on medium-low heat until the mixture begins to thicken
Add the shredded cheddar cheese a handful at a time stirring the entire time. Be sure that the cheese is completely melted and mixed in before adding more cheese to avoid clumping
Stir in the noodles making sure that every noodle is coated
In a deep baking dish begin layering the coated noodles and the Colby Jack cheese. Begin with a layer of the sharp cheddar coated noodles, then a few cubes of Colby Jack cheese and then the coated noodles again until the dish is full. Make sure to end with the cheddar coated noodles.
Evenly sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top.
Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the cheese on the top begins to brown
Enjoy!

Extra:

I had leftover shredded chicken in taco seasoning from chicken tacos the night before. Adding this to the macaroni and cheese adds pop to the flavor and creates a completely different dish. Add it to the coated noodles right before layering with the Colby Jack cubes.

Check out another great way to use leftover chicken taco meat here.