Baked Mac and Cheese

Welcome back! 

Today, we have a upscale version of the classic kid's favorite: mac and cheese! This is a big step up from Kraft Mac and Cheese, as it features rich cheeses that taste real and is baked with a crumbly topping. Despite the gourmet style of the dish, it's still accessible to everyone (as long as you're not lactose intolerant), because it is still essentially mac and cheese.

Baked Mac and Cheese

Makes about 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces elbow pasta
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup half & half
• 1 cup Gruyere cheese
• 1 cup ghost pepper cheddar cheese
• 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
• Pepper to taste

Topping:

• 1/2 cup panko
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• A pinch of smoked paprika

Directions:

1. In a pot, cook the butter and flour into a roux.
2. Add the milk and half & half in, a little at a time and mix with the roux.
3. Add in the cheese, about 1 cup at a time and mix.
4. Cook the elbow pasta according to the instructions on the box.
5. Mix and add pepper to taste.
6. Put this mac and cheese into a dish that you can bake.
7. In a bowl, mix the ingredients for the toppings.
8. Spread this topping over the mac and cheese.
   
   
   
9. Bake this in the oven at 375°F for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
   

If you wanted to take it a step above to make it even more fancy, you could add some additional ingredients into the dish. A common ingredient is bacon, which gives it an additional layer of flavor. We also tried it with spinach and crab, turning the mac and cheese into a high class meal. However, at that point, it almost doesn't seem like mac and cheese and more like baked pasta that's very cheesy. Any way you eat it, it's delicious though!

With the spinach, bacon, and crab

-Chefpo