Super Creamy Oven Baked Macaroni and Cheese
I have played with this recipe for months and I have finally perfected the most creamy, gooey, delicious baked mac and cheese! My daughter, the mac & cheese queen, deems this mac & cheese her absolute favorite. And, trust me, she’s a tough audience! Hope you enjoy!
Let’s Make Mac and Cheese
This macaroni and cheese is simple to make.
To expedite the creation of this mac and cheese, make sure to have all of the ingredients pre-measured and ready to go. This includes cubing the velveeta cheese. I have found that it is way easier to cut the velveeta after it has been chilled in the freezer for 5 minutes.
First, in a large pot of salted boiling water, boil 1 pound of macaroni for roughly 8 minutes. I have found that most packages of macaroni have a suggestion for al dente times on the box. I always subtract about 1 minute from that time, and this works perfectly for me every time.
Once the pasta is finished, drain and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute or until you start smelling a nutty aroma. I like using my flat whisk as I find that it can get into all of the edges of most pans.
Once you have the nutty aroma of the roux going, add the half and half and whole milk. Whisk constantly until the mixture starts to boil and thickens. Remove from the heat and add the velveeta, 2 cups of cheddar and the worchestershire sauce.
Once the cheese is fully melted, add the seasonings. I have found that about 1/8th of a teaspoon of nutmeg is just perfect. I grind mine fresh using this microplane nutmeg grater. It has a screw off cap to hold the nutmeg and then you can grind it fresh whenever you need it.
Once the seasonings are incorporated, add the macaroni to the pasta and stir. I randomly was gifted a spoonula and it has changed my cooking. Half spoon, half spatula. If you need a new spatula, I suggest getting a spoonula instead. It works great.
Pour the mac and cheese into a 13×9 greased pan. We have been using foil pans for this meal, since the cheese is hard to get off of baking dishes and I really hate doing dishes. Haha.
Cover with the remaining 2 cups of cheddar and cheese and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 30 minutes. You can also cover the mac and cheese and refrigerate over night. Then, bake the next day. If you bake it the next day after refrigerating, you will have to bake it for about an hour at 325 to make sure that it fully heats up.
This mac and cheese is a Holmes family favorite. It is creamy and delicious!
The most creamy, gooey and delicious baked mac and cheese.
- 1 lb. Dry elbow macaroni pasta
- 1/2 cup Salted Butter
- 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
- 2 cups Milk Whole Milk
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 12 oz Velveeta cheese Cut into 1 inch cubes
- 4 cups Grated Sharp cheddar cheese Divided into two, 2 Cup portions
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
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Prep Work: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish and set aside.
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
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Place the 1 lb. of dry elbows into the boiling pot of water. Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the package suggestion for al dente (Roughly 8 minutes).
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Drain the pasta and set aside.
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While your pasta is boiling, melt butter in a large Dutch oven (about 6 or 7 quarts) over medium heat. Add flour and whisk constantly for about 1 minute or until the roux starts to have a nutty aroma.
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Gradually, whisk in the milk and half and half. Bring to a boil over medium heat, while whisking constantly. Remove from heat after combined.
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Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce and add all of the Velveeta cheese and 2 cups fo the cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese is completely melted and smooth.
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Stir in the salt, dry mustard, pepper and nutmeg. Add cooked, drained pasta and fold to coat.
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Transfer your mixture to your pre-greased baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of grated cheddar on top.
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Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted on top and the sauce is bubbly.
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For a crispier, browner top, pop the dish under the boiler for about 2 minutes.
