Ingredients (~6-8 servings)
- 12 oz elbow pasta
- 6 oz gruyere, grated by hand
- 6 oz sharp cheddar, grated by hand
- 3 oz fontina, grated by hand
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 1/4 cups half and half
- 6 oz full-fat cream cheese (brick-style)
- 1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Prep Your Baking Dish and Get the Oven Going
Preheat your oven to 400F.
Grease a 9×13 baking dish with 2 Tbsp of the softened butter and place it on a baking sheet.
The baking sheet catches any bubbling over and makes it easier to move around.
Cook the Pasta Just Shy of Al Dente
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta ~2-3 minutes less than the package directions say.
You want it to still have some bite since it’ll finish cooking in the oven.
Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. If you’re doing this step ahead of time, toss with a little oil so it doesn’t stick together.
Grate All the Cheese by Hand
Use a box grater for all three cheeses.
Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly – you’ll end up with a grainy sauce instead of creamy.
Set aside about 1 cup of the mixed grated cheese for the top.
Make the Cream Sauce
Melt the remaining 2 Tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the diced onion and cook until soft, ~3-4 minutes.
Add the paprika, garlic powder, and dijon; cook for ~30 seconds until fragrant.
Pour in the half and half and warm until it’s steaming but not boiling – you’ll see little wisps of steam coming off the surface.
Blend the Sauce Until Smooth
Pour the hot half and half mixture into a blender with the cream cheese.
Blend until completely smooth – the cream cheese will melt from the heat and everything will combine.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Layer Everything and Bake
Put the cooked pasta in your prepared baking dish and mix in most of the grated cheese, keeping that 1 cup reserved.
Pour the blended sauce over everything and stir lightly to coat.
Top with the remaining cheese.
Bake uncovered for ~15-18 minutes until hot, bubbly, and browned on top.
If the cheese hasn’t browned enough, hit it with the broiler on high for ~2-3 minutes to get that golden top.
Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6-8 servings)
- 12 oz elbow pasta
- 6 oz gruyere, grated by hand
- 6 oz sharp cheddar, grated by hand
- 3 oz fontina, grated by hand
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 1/4 cups half and half
- 6 oz full-fat cream cheese, brick-style
- 1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and butter a 9×13 baking dish.
- Boil pasta 2-3 minutes less than package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water.
- Grate all cheeses by hand, reserving 1 cup for topping.
- Melt butter, sauté onions until soft, add spices and mustard.
- Add half and half, warm until steaming.
- Blend hot mixture with cream cheese until smooth.
- Season sauce with salt and pepper.
- Mix pasta with most cheese, pour sauce over, and stir.
- Top with reserved cheese.
- Bake 15-18 minutes until bubbly and golden.
- Optional: Broil 2-3 minutes for extra browning.