Baked Mac and Cheese

This homemade mac and cheese recipe is made with a variety of quality cheeses and is baked to bubbly, golden brown perfection. The classic southern side and staple soul food takes just 1 hour to make and is a family favorite throughout the year, from the holidays to summer cookouts.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, (plus more for baking dish)
• 12 ounces sharp cheddar, (freshly grated, divided, see instructions)
• 12 ounces colby jack, (freshly grated, divided, see instructions)
• 4 ounces monterey jack, (freshly grated )
• 6 ounces gouda, (freshly grated )
• 2 ounces parmigiano reggiano, (freshly grated )
• 2 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, (preferably freshly grated)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons sodium citrate
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Crystal hot sauce
• 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt, (Diamond Crystal, or to taste)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking pan with butter. Keep 2½ cups sharp cheddar and 2 cups of colby jack cheese to the side.
2. 2Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, Add the pasta and cook until al-dente. You want the noodles to have a slight bite as it will continue to cook while it bakes.
3. 3Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Next, add the garlic powder, mustard powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, cayenne, and nutmeg. Stir to combine and toast spices until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the pepper and stir.
4. 4Slowly whisk in the milk and heavy cream and keep a continuous whisk until the mixture bubbles, about 4 minutes.
5. 5Remove the pot from the heat and add the cheese in batches (reserving ⅓ of the cheese batch) whisking until melted. Make sure the cheese is fully melted before adding more grated cheese. Once all the cheese is added, stir in the sodium citrate. Keep a continuous stir and you will notice the cheese sauce turn slightly velvety (this is the sodium citrate doing its thing!). Add the hot sauce then taste the sauce for salt levels before adding salt as the sodium citrate adds a good amount of seasoning. Add 1¼ teaspoons of kosher salt or to taste and stir to combine.
6. 6Add the well-drained noodles to the cheese mixture, mixing until noodles are completely covered. Transfer noodles to a prepared 13x9 baking dish. Add remaining ⅓ reserved cheese mixture and stir to combine. Even the mixture with a spatula then top with the 4½ cups of mixed sharp and colby cheese. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, until cheese completely melts. To get the signature brown top, broil for 1-2 minutes, keeping a close eye.
7. 7Remove from the oven and leave for 5 minutes to slightly cool. Serve and enjoy!