Garlicky Mac & Cheese
Garlic-y Mac & Cheese
This is a decadent and flavorful mac & cheese. Unlike most mac and cheese recipes, this one includes steps and tips to take your dish to the next level.
INGREDIENTS
8 oz Fontina
8 oz White Cheddar
4 oz Parmesan
2 Cups Dry Shells (1/2 a 1 lb Pasta Box)
5-6 Garlic Cloves, Minced
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
4 Cups Whole Milk
1/3 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Tsp Kosher Salt + ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
½ Tsp Black Pepper
1 Cup Breadcrumbs (Panko or Fresh/Homemade)
4 Tbsp Melted Butter
1 Handful Mixed Herbs like Parsley (Oregano, Thyme, Finely Chopped)
***You can substitute fontina and/or white cheddar for gruyere and/or white American. However, I would not recommend substituting parmesan for anything else.
***IF YOU ARE MAKING THIS AHEAD OF TIME, assemble everything but the breadcrumb topping. You can make the breadcrumb topping beforehand, just don’t top the mac and cheese until you’re ready to bake it off. ALSO, remove mac and cheese from the fridge 1.5 hours before you plan to bake it.
INSTRUCTIONS
Cook pasta in generously salted water but undercook it by 2 minutes based on box instructions. For example, if the box says to cook pasta for 7 minutes, cook it for 5 minutes. (This is so we don't overcook the pasta when we bake it later)
Strain pasta. Then season it with salt and pepper and pour 1/3 cup of heavy cream into pasta. Let pasta soak while you build the bechamel. This is so the pasta won't dry out during the baking process!
In a small saucepan, on medium-low heat, melt 2 tbsp butter and minced garlic; stir until garlic is very fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add 2 tbsp of AP Flour and stir until the flour is cooked through, slightly deepens in color, and looks foamy, about 3 min.
Next, gradually add 4 cups of whole milk to the saucepan and stir continually until sauce thickens, about 6-7 min. Once it has thickened, add 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp salt. Add in 2 cups of the shredded cheese mixture and stir until everything is well incorporated.
Add the pasta to the sauce and stir until well combined. Pour the noodles into a greased baking dish, ideally a casserole 9x13 casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese then breadcrumb mixture.
BREADCRUMB MIXTURE: Melt 4 tbsp of butter over medium low heat then add in 1 cup of breadcrumbs and stir until slightly crispy, about 2 minutes. Add in freshly chopped herbs and a pinch of salt then remove from the heat. Spread over mac and cheese.
Top with remaining shredded cheese then the breadcrumb mixture.
Bake at 350 F / 175 C for 20-25 minutes or until cheese has fully melted, slightly browned, and breadcrumbs are crispy.
GRUB!!!