Baked White Cheddar Mac and Cheese

5 from 12 votes

Baked White Cheddar Mac and Cheese

This recipe for Baked White Cheddar Mac and Cheese is creamy, decadent, and delicious. It includes a crispy bread coating that provides a delightful crunch. It's made with multiple types of cheese, hot sauce, and panko crumbs for the ultimate mac and cheese dish.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Brianna May

Equipment

Ingredients

Cheese Sauce

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon granulated garlic, onion powder, & ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*
fresh cracked black pepper
2 1/2 cups milk*
1-2 teaspoons hot sauce
8 ounces (2 cups) extra sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
4 ounces (1 cups) pepper jack cheese, shredded*
8 ounces dried elbow pasta

Panko Topping

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano
3 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil while you make the sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/4 cup all purpose flour
Add the garlic, onion powder, ground mustard, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. It will have the consistency of a paste.
1 teaspoon granulated garlic, onion powder, & ground mustard, 1/2 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*, fresh cracked black pepper
Reduce the heat to medium-low. While whisking, slowly pour in about 1/2 cup of the milk. The milk should absorb quickly and thicken.
2 1/2 cups milk*
Repeat this process by adding about 1/2 cup of milk and whisk until combined with the remaining milk. This will prevent the sauce from becoming grainy. Stir in the hot sauce.
1-2 teaspoons hot sauce
Reduce the heat to low. Boil the pasta for about 1 minute less than the shortest time instructed on the back of the package. While the pasta is boiling, remove the sauce from the heat and immediately stir in the cheddar and pepper jack, reserving some for topping if desired.
8 ounces (2 cups) extra sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded, 8 ounces dried elbow pasta, 4 ounces (1 cups) pepper jack cheese, shredded*
Strain the pasta and gently fold it into the sauce. Set aside. Taste and add salt if needed.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the panko, parmesan, melted butter, and garlic. Set aside.
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano, 3 Tablespoons salted butter, melted, 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
Grease a medium baking dish. Transfer the pasta to the greased dish.
Sprinkle the cheese on top of the pasta.
Sprinkle the panko topping on top of the cheese.
Bake for 12-15 minutes. Broil if desired to brown the top. Do not overbake the pasta, or the casserole will dry out.

Notes

Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
Milk: You can use whichever milk you have in the fridge for this recipe, including skim, reduced fat, or whole milk. As a note, the type of milk you use will change the richness slightly, especially when using milk with lower fat content.
Pepper Jack: If you do not want a peppery flavor, use more white cheddar, gruyere, or Swiss cheese instead of pepper jack.
Use good quality cheese. Cheese is one of this recipe's primary flavors, so using a good quality option is important. When possible, shop at the deli counter instead of opting for pre-bagged cheese. This method allows you to taste the cheese before buying it to ensure it’s good quality.
Shred your own cheese. Shredded cheese from the grocery store has an anti-caking agent to prevent the pieces from sticking together. Because of this, store-bought shredded cheese will not melt as well as cheese you shred at home. Use freshly grated cheese for the best white cheddar mac and cheese recipe.
Salt the pasta water. It's best to always salt the water when you cook pasta. Salting pasta water helps add flavor to the noodles and keeps them from sticking together as they cook.
Undercook the pasta. I always recommend undercooking pasta recipes like this baked white cheddar mac and cheese as it helps to avoid mushy pasta. Use the instructions on the back of the pasta package as a guide. Simply remove them from the water one minute before the instructions note.
Add the milk in intervals. Adding milk slowly to this recipe creates a smooth roux and sauce. If you add the milk too quickly, it will form lumps in the sauce.
Do not overbake. Overbaking this recipe means you'll be left with dried-out, hard-to-eat mac and cheese. It should only take about 12-15 minutes to form a crispy top layer on this gooey pasta recipe.

Nutrition