I had a technology failure. I lost a bunch of the step by step photos for this creamy white cheddar baked mac n cheese. How sad is that? Maybe they are somewhere hidden on my hard drive. But somewhere between my camera and the computer, some of these photos disappeared.
I usually like to let the pictures do the talking, but for this post, instructions will have to suffice. The perfectionist in me wanted to scrape this whole post, but the foodie in me said no. Bubbly, creamy, comforting white cheddar mac n cheese is too good not to share with all of you!
You’ll need:
1/2 lb noodles of your choice. I used whole wheat gemelli noodles
4 oz of heavy cream
16 oz of grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely diced white onion
3 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
I suggest starting off by prepping all your ingredients so they are ready to go! Grate the cheese, mince the garlic and onion, measure out other ingredients. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. By prepping before, cooking the meal will go much smoother and you’ll be less likely to forget things!
Begin by boiling the gemelli noodles until al dente.
After about 10-15 minutes of noodles boiling, sauté the onions and garlic with the olive oil for about 2 minutes over medium heat. Then melt the butter in. Next add the cream and stir for 2 more minutes. Stir in the flour. This will be your roux.
Drain the water from the noodles. Do not rinse the noodles. Put them back in hot pot, stir in the roux. Fold in the grated white cheddar cheese, reserving 1 cup for the topping.
Place the noodles into a small baking dish coated with non-stick spray. Cover the top with panko bread crumbs and the remaining cheddar cheese. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the cheese is bubbling and the top is golden brown.
Why do noodles that are already cooked take so long to cook more? I am not really sure. It seems way too long, but it is oh so worth it. I promise. The crunchy panko and bubbly cheesy are like a party for your taste buds.
Dig in! Add salt and pepper to taste.
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