Easy Homestyle Baked Gruyere Mac n Cheese
Baked Gruyere Mac 'n Cheese is the epitome of comfort food, featuring a luscious blend of Gruyere cheese, creamy béchamel, and perfectly baked pasta. The result is a golden, gooey masterpiece that elevates classic mac 'n cheese to a whole new level of indulgence.
Equipment
- cutting board
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- food processor or box grater
- baking dish
- stockpot
- saucepan
- whisk
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound macaroni or other pasta - I suggest macaroni, cavatappi, or shelbows
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter plus extra for preparing the baking dish
- 5 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup milk, 2%
- 1 1/4 cup half and half
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded*
- 1 cup medium sharp cheddar cheese, shredded*
- 1 cup gruyere cheese, shredded*
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and butter the inside of a 2 qt baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- While you are bringing the pot of water to a boil, grate your cheeses. Honestly, if you make a lot of recipes with shredded cheese, I think it is worth it to purchase a food processor. It is so easy and fast to shred cheese using a food processor. If not, use a box grater.
- Once you’ve grated the 3 types of cheese (sharp cheddar, medium sharp cheddar, and gruyere), combine and mix them. You will have a total of 3 cups of cheese. Set aside 1 1⁄2 cups of shredded cheese (this will be used for the sauce). The other 1 1⁄2 cups will be used for the middle and top layer, but we will get into that later.
- Once your water is boiling, add salt and cook the dried pasta for about 1 minute less than the package directs you for al dente -- you don’t want mushy noodles! Drain the cooked pasta and drizzle with olive oil or toss with a bit of butter to prevent it from sticking, set aside.
- Time to make the roux. A roux (pronounced like roo), is the term for when you cook flour with fat (normally, and in this case, butter), in order to thicken a sauce.
- First, combine the 3⁄4 cup of 2% milk and 1 1⁄4 cup of half and half, set aside. Melt 1⁄2 stick of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Slowly add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook for 1 minute, whisking frequently. Slowly add about half of the milk/half and half mixture in while whisking constantly, until smooth. Then pour in the raining milk/half and half (continuing to whisk) until it is all smooth and well-combined.
- Once combined, continue to cook while whisking frequently until the sauce has thickened. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the 1⁄2 tbsp salt, 1⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, tsp paprika, and 1⁄4 tsp dry mustard. Then add The 1 1⁄2 cup of cheese you set aside for the sauce. Mix to combine until the cheese has completely melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Grab a large mixing bowl and dump the drained pasta into it. Then pour the cheese sauce on top and mix to combine fully. Pour half of the macaroni and cheese into the prepared 2 qt dish, then top with half of the reserved cheese, sprinkling on top evenly. Add the remaining macaroni and cheese to the dish and sprinkle the last bit of cheese on top in an even layer.
- Bake the macaroni and cheese at 350°F for about 30 minutes or until bubbling and golden on top. Let the macaroni and cheese set for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Please, please, please! Shred your own cheese! Use a box grater or your food processor - it really makes a difference.
Nutrition
Calories: 348kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 15.5gFat: 23.7gSaturated Fat: 14.6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 115.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4.2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 72.5mgSodium: 690mgPotassium: 112.7mgFiber: 0.8gSugar: 3g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!