Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Velvety Sauce and Breadcrumb Crust
Difficulty Moderate
Cuisine American
Diets Vegetarian, Omnivore
Yield 4 Servings
Nutrition Facts
Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Velvety Sauce and Breadcrumb Crust
A moderate American dish perfect for vegetarian and omnivore diets. Using fresh ingredients from your pantry, customized by our World Class AI Chef.
Nutrition Facts
Cooking Steps
Each component prepared separately.
Breadcrumb Topping
Ingredientssubstitutes
Breadcrumb Topping
white bread
-
100g
salted butter
-
30g
ground paprika
-
0.5tsp
Breadcrumb Topping Instructions
Prep
1. Preheat your oven to 190°C and lightly grease a 23x33cm baking dish.
2. Pulse the white bread in a food processor until you have coarse, uneven crumbs.
Cook
3. Melt the salted butter in a small skillet and toss with the breadcrumbs and ground paprika until orange-gold.
4. Pour the macaroni and cheese mixture into the baking dish and cover evenly with the buttered breadcrumbs.
5. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes until the edges are bubbling and the crust is crisp.
Serve
6. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the velvety sauce to set slightly.
Elbow Pasta
Ingredientssubstitutes
Elbow Pasta
macaroni
-
450g
kosher salt
-
10g
Elbow Pasta Instructions
Prep
1. Fill a large stockpot with 4 liters of water and add 10g of kosher salt.
2. Bring the water to a rapid rolling boil over high heat.
Cook
3. Add the macaroni to the boiling water and stir immediately to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom.
4. Boil for exactly 6 minutes; the pasta should be slightly firm as it will continue cooking in the oven.
5. Drain the pasta through a colander and shake off excess moisture.
Serve
6. Transfer the cooked pasta to a large mixing bowl and set aside while preparing the sauce.
Velvety Cheese Sauce
Ingredientssubstitutes
Velvety Cheese Sauce
unsalted butter
-
60g
all-purpose flour
-
60g
whole milk
-
750ml
heavy cream
-
120ml
cheddar
-
300g
Mozzarella Cheese
-
150g
Garlic Powder
-
1tsp
Ground Onion
-
1tsp
ground mustard
-
0.5tsp
Velvety Cheese Sauce Instructions
Prep
1. Hand-shred both the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses to ensure they melt smoothly into the sauce.
Cook
2. Melt 60g of unsalted butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
3. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes until the mixture smells nutty but does not brown.
4. Gradually whisk in the whole milk and heavy cream in small increments to maintain a smooth consistency.
5. Stir in the garlic powder, ground onion, ground mustard, and cayenne pepper.
6. Simmer for 5 minutes until thickened, then remove from heat and fold in the shredded cheeses until the sauce is velvety.
Serve
7. Immediately pour the cheese sauce over the cooked macaroni and stir until every noodle is coated.
Explore the Flavor Galaxy
Ingredient Substitutes
Can't find an ingredient? Here are smart swaps.
Instead of
macaroni
Couscous
fusilli
lasagna sheets
Instead of
kosher salt
flake salt
garlic salt
himalayan pink salt
Instead of
unsalted butter
clarified butter (ghee)
nut butters (e.g. almond)
salted butter
Instead of
all-purpose flour
almond flour
barley flour
buckwheat flour
Instead of
whole milk
almond milk
buttermilk
coconut milk
Instead of
heavy cream
sour cream
crème fraîche
half and half
Instead of
cheddar
cottage cheese
blue cheese
Burrata
Instead of
Mozzarella Cheese
cottage cheese
blue cheese
Burrata
Instead of
Garlic Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Chili Flakes
Chili Powder
Instead of
Ground Onion
Cayenne Pepper
Chili Flakes
Chili Powder
Instead of
Cayenne Pepper
Chili Flakes
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Instead of
ground mustard
Cayenne Pepper
Chili Flakes
Chili Powder
Instead of
white bread
brioche
ciabatta
multigrain bread
Instead of
salted butter
clarified butter (ghee)
nut butters (e.g. almond)
sesame butter
Instead of
ground paprika
Cayenne Pepper
Chili Flakes
Chili Powder