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garlic parmesan mac and cheese_6584

Creamy Garlic Parmesan Mac And Cheese

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Ditch the box stuff and upgrade your mac and cheese game with this super creamy garlic parmesan mac and cheese made with a stunning white creamy cheese sauce, topped with a buttery crispy golden-brown panko topping, oven-baked to a chef’s kiss perfection. It’s truly what you deserve today.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Sides
Cuisine: American Southern
Calories: 1176.32
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound elbow macaroni
  • 4 quarts water
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar, grated or shredded, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups Monterey jack cheese, grated or shredded, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups 1⁄2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated or shredded, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups 1⁄2 cups parmesan cheese, grated or shredded, divided
  • fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Creamy Cheese Sauce
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 10-15 whole garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small-medium onion (minced)
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup creamed cheese (room temperature)
  • 1 cup white sharp cheddar, grated or shredded
  • 1 cup monteray jack cheese, grated or shredded
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated or shredded
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
Crispy Topping
  • 4 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted)
  • 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs (or plain bread crumbs)

Instructions
 

  1. Add 4 quarts (16 cups) of water and 2 tablespoons of salt into a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
  2. Add macaroni and reduce heat to medium. Stir periodically to prevent the pasta from sticking.
  3. Cook for 3-4 minutes less than the packaging instructions. Undercooking the pasta will allow you to enjoy al-dente pasta at the end of the cooking process.
  4. Once the pasta is done, drain in a colander and run the cooked pasta under cool running water, and set it aside. This stops the cooking process.
How To Make The Panko Topping
  1. In a medium-sized skillet add butter and allow it to melt over medium heat.
  2. Stir in the panko breadcrumb and garlic and toast in the butter for 1 minute and set aside.
How To Build The Cheese Sauce
  1. Melt butter in a medium-sized pot over medium-low heat.
  2. Stir in onion and garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes until onions are translucent and garlic fragrant.
  3. How To Make The Panko ToppingNext stir in the flour, cajun seasoning, and garlic powder. Allow the flour to cook for 4-5 minutes until the flour is a blondish golden color. Do not cook past this color.
  4. Stir in the heavy cream and the evaporated milk.
  5. Next, stir or whisk in the cream cheese and 1 cup of all the grated cheeses and continue to stir until cheeses have melted and the mixture is creamy and gooey.
  6. Stir in cooked elbow macaroni and toss to combine.
  7. Once the macaroni is coated, remove the pot from the heat and set it aside.
Assembling the Mac and Cheese
  1. Pour half of the mac and cheese into an oven-safe container.
  2. Layer the mac and cheese with 3/4 cups of the cheeses.
  3. Pour the remaining mac and cheese into the container and layer it with the remaining cheeses.
  4. Top the mac and cheese with the panko-topping. Spread it out evenly across the top.
  5. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling.
  6. Increase the oven temperature to the broiler setting or 500 degrees and bake for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is golden-brown (optional) WATCH CLOSELY! This happens quickly.
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Nutrition

Calories: 1176.32kcal (59%)Carbohydrates: 66.78g (22%)Protein: 49.23g (98%)Fat: 79.26g (122%)Sodium: 3100.44mg (135%)Fiber: 2.69g (11%)Sugar: 7.64g (8%)

Notes

u003cliu003eFor the pasta, you want to u003cstrongu003eoversalt the water and undercook the pasta u003c/strongu003e(al-dente)u003cstrongu003e.u003c/strongu003e u003cstrongu003eAdd salt to the boiling water before putting the pasta in.u003c/strongu003e Manufacturers may vary the width or thickness of their pasta make sure to u003cstrongu003efollow the package instructions when cooking pasta.u003c/strongu003eu003c/liu003eu003cliu003eI used elbow macaroni this recipe also works with short pasta like penne and fusilli. If elbow macaroni is not your thing, try the other types of pasta.u003c/liu003eu003cliu003eu003cstrongu003eLeftovers can be kept for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. u003c/strongu003eAfter that, the risk of food poisoning increases. If you don’t think you’ll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them immediately. Make sure the leftovers have cooled down to room temperature before storing.u003c/liu003eu003cliu003eu003cstrongu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.whirlpool.com/blog/kitchen/how-to-calibrate-an-oven.htmlu0022u003eCalibrateu003c/au003e your oven.u003c/strongu003e This will ensure you’re getting an accurate reading of the temperature. Every oven is different so grab the manual for the most accurate way how to calibrate your specific oven.u003c/liu003eu003cliu003eI ALWAYS recommend reading through the recipe in full a couple of times before starting. That way you know exactly what to expect and you can prep accordingly.u003c/liu003eu003cliu003eGather all your ingredients before cooking. This way you don’t forget to add an ingredient or two. It has happened so many times so I use “u003ca href=u0022https://www.webstaurantstore.com/blog/2886/what-is-mise-en-place.htmlu0022u003emise en placeu003c/au003e” to save my sanity and the recipe.u003c/liu003eu003cliu003eu003cstrongu003eu003cstrongu003eFor your convenience, you can automatically generate a shopping list of all the ingredients + save the recipe (scroll ↓).u003c/strongu003eu003c/strongu003eu003c/liu003e

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