Baked Mac and Cheese with Panko Breadcrumb Topping
Creamy cavatappi mac and cheese with a three-cheese sauce and crispy panko breadcrumb topping. Easy baked recipe that's cheesy and delicious.Check above this recipe card for ingredient substitution options.
Ingredients
- 1 pound cavatappi pasta, dry
- ½ pound bacon, diced
- 1 onion, finely diced
FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE:
- 5 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons whole grain mustard
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups whole milk, or heavy cream or half & half
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 4 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- optional a dash of hot sauce
- FOR THE TOPPING
- 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup butter, unsalted, melted
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water according to the package instructions until al dente, drain.
- In a large skillet or large saucepan, add bacon and cook over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes. Remove from pan and place in bowl, leaving bacon grease in skillet.
- Add onions to skillet and sauté in the bacon grease for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove and add to bowl with bacon to rest.
- Make the cheese sauce. Melt butter in the same skillet or pan you used to sauté the bacon and onions over medium heat. Add flour, mustard, garlic powder and cayenne. Stir for 1-2 minutes until mixture thickens into a paste.
- Slowly add in milk and chicken stock. Bring to a hard simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low, allow to cook for 5 minutes until mixture is reduced into a smooth sauce thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove from heat or adjust to low heat, and stir in cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted and well combined. Add cooked pasta, bacon and onions, stir to coat.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to a greased 9x13'' baking dish. Combine panko bread crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl. Add the buttery panko topping to the top of the casserole.
- Set oven to broil. Place casserole dish in oven and broil for 2-3 minutes, until the bread crumbs are well toasted and the top of the mac and cheese has formed a golden brown light crust.
- Cool slightly before serving.
Serving: 1, Calories: 430kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 51mg, Sodium: 508mg, Potassium: 281mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 451IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 152mg, Iron: 1mg
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