Baked Mac & Cheese

🥘 Ingredients

Base

• all purpose flour
  4 tbsp
• elbow macaroni
  3/4 lbs
• grated sharp cheddar
  2 cups
• heavy cream
  1 cup
• milk
  1 cup
• non-stick cooking spray
• pepper
• salt
  1 tsp
• unsalted butter
  4 tbsp

Topping

• Ritz crackers
  1 sleeve
• unsalted butter (melted)
  4 tbsp

🍳 Cookware

• large pot
• saucepan
• casserole dish

Base

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. 2

   Cook elbow macaroni in a large pot according to the box, adding salt to the boiling water. Once done, drain and set aside.

   elbow macaroni: 3/4 lbs, salt: 1 tsp
3. 3

   Melt unsalted butter in a saucepan , then whisk in all purpose flour and salt. Stir constantly over medium heat until the roux bubbles and turns a pale brown, ⏱️ 2-3 minutes . KEEP STIRRING!

   unsalted butter: 4 tbsp, all purpose flour: 4 tbsp
4. 4

   Whisk in milk until fully incorporated, then whisk in heavy cream .

   milk: 1 cup, heavy cream: 1 cup
5. 5

   Add grated sharp cheddar and stir until the sauce is thick. Season with pepper at this point.

   grated sharp cheddar: 2 cups, pepper
6. 6

   Add the drained macaroni and mix well.
7. 7

   Spray the bottom of a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray , then add the mac and cheese to the dish.

   non-stick cooking spray

Topping

1. 1

   Crush Ritz crackers and combine with unsalted butter . Stir until combined and crumbly, then sprinkle evenly over the top of the mac and cheese.

   Ritz crackers: 1 sleeve, unsalted butter: 4 tbsp (melted)
2. 2

   Bake for ⏱️ 25 minutes until the edges are bubbly.