Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Breadcrumb Topping
Old fashioned baked macaroni and cheese topped with crispy and buttery herb and garlic breadcrumb topping.
Ingredients
- 1 lbs macaroni
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 500ml/2 cups whole milk
- 360g/3 cups (12 oz) grated Cheddar cheese or a mix of Cheddar and your favourite cheese
- salt to taste
- 60g/1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 1 clove garlic pressed or grated
- 1 tbsp parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni in a large pot of salted water according to package instructions. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
- Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, blend in flour with a wire whisk. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes while stirring the entire time. The mixture will turn yellow and start to smell pleasantly nutty. Now add the milk gradually while stirring to avoid lumps, allow the sauce to thicken for 5-7 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the grated cheese and allow it to melt and fully incorporate into the sauce. Add salt to taste. (Don't forget the salt!)
- Make the breadcrumb topping by melting the butter in a frying pan, then add 1 clove of crushed garlic, sauté over low heat for 30 seconds, add breadcrumbs and chopped parsley, cook until the breadcrumbs are slightly toasted. Set aside till needed.
- Drain the pasta, then return it to the pot and pour the cheese sauce over it, stir to coat. Turn out the macaroni and cheese into a buttered baking dish (at least 3.5-4 Quart/3.5-4 L capacity). Sprinkle the prepared breadcrumb topping all over and bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. (Baking it longer will only dry out the sauce!)
Nutrition
Calories: 700kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 28gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 949mgPotassium: 370mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1022IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 563mgIron: 2mg
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