Creamy Old Fashioned Mac And Cheese
This creamy Old Fashioned Mac and Cheese is baked until bubbly, with a crispy breadcrumb topping. It’s rich, comforting, and tastes just like grandma used to make.
Creamy Old Fashioned Mac and Cheese is made with just one cheese (sharp cheddar) for that classic, nostalgic flavor. The sauce is rich and velvety, and the topping may just be my favorite addition: crispy, buttery breadcrumbs that get golden brown in the oven.
The recipe is a mix of a few recipes that I found in old spiral-bound cookbooks. One suggested putting shredded wheat on top (hmmm!), others had eggs mixed in, and others turned out a little dry. This one, however, was just right. It’s simple, familiar, and exactly what you want when you think of a homemade baked mac and cheese.
While cheddar keeps it traditional, you can easily swap in your favorite cheese or mix a few together for your own twist. Serve it as a cozy side for Sunday dinner or make it part of your Thanksgiving spread. It’s the kind of dish that always disappears first from the table.
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Here’s What You’ll Need
- Don’t have dried mustard? You can substitute twice the amount of Dijon mustard.
- I used a slightly larger macaroni shape. Any short pasta works great here.
- Sharp cheddar gives it that classic flavor. But, you can substitute another cheese if you’d like here. Colby jack would be good, or sub in 4 ounces of shredded gruyere for part of the cheddar. The only catch is that you NEED to shred the cheese yourself. Pre-shredded cheese contains ingredients (like potato starch) that keep the cheese from clumping, but will make for a less-than-creamy sauce.
How to Make Old Fashioned Mac and Cheese
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. While it’s cooking, proceed with step #2.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet, then stir in the flour. Cook one minute.
- Whisk in the milk, cream, paprika, mustard, and salt. Cook until thickened slightly.
- Whisk in the shredded cheddar.
- Toss the breadcrumbs with the butter.
- Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce, and pour into a 13×9-inch dish.
- Top with the breadcrumbs.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F, or until the breadcrumbs are crispy. Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Creamy Old Fashioned Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb macaroni
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard (or 2 teaspoons Dijon)
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 16 oz cheddar freshly shredded, see notes for more options
- 1½ cups coarse breadcrumbs (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cook macaroni in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the mustard, paprika and salt.
- Whisk in the milk and heavy cream. Cook until thickened slightly, about 6–8 minutes.
- Stir in the shredded cheese until the mixture is smooth. Add the cooked and drained pasta and stir until the pasta is coated.
- Pour into the baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, toss the breadcrumbs with the 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle over the macaroni in the baking dish.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are crispy.
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