It never fails, my kids are happy when I make any kind of Mac & Cheese, if it is from scratch and oven baked, they border on bliss! After few minutes of rummaging in the refrigerator, I had put together enough cheese to make a fairly decadent casserole. Here's the recipe, tricks and all:
1 lb. Macaroni, elbows, shells, whatever your preference
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon powdered yellow mustard
pinch of cayenne
2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400° F
2. Cook noodles until al dente or according to package directions, drain.
3. In a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat melt butter and whisk in flour. Cook about 1 minute, whisking until bubbly and smooth, slowly whisk in milk. Add cream cheese, pepper mustard and cayenne. Whisk until cream cheese is incorporated. Add shredded cheese stir until smooth. Add noodles, stir to evenly coat.
4. Pour into a casserole dish and spread bread crumbs over the top. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through!
Notes: Serves 4 as a main course or 8 as a side dish. I use a deep casserole dish but a large lasagna pan would also work. I have also use a Mexican cheese blend if I don't have Colby Jack. Using panko crumbs eliminates the need to add butter or oil as they brown nicely without the extra fat. Neufchatel works great instead of full fat cream cheese. I usually serve it with roast chicken, but my family loves having meatballs on the side.
Enjoy!
