Description
This classic baked mac and cheese recipe features a creamy blend of sharp cheddar and Swiss cheeses enveloping perfectly cooked macaroni noodles. Topped with a crunchy, buttery Cheez-It cracker crust, this comforting dish is baked to golden perfection, making it an irresistible twist on traditional mac and cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
Macaroni and Cheese
- 16 ounces uncooked macaroni noodles
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (approx. 2 ¼ cups)
- 8 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded (approx. 2 ¼ cups)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (or 2 tablespoons cornstarch)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 3-4 dashes hot sauce (or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper)
- 3 cups half and half (or whole milk)
Crust Topping
- 2 cups Cheez-It crackers
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F to prepare for baking the mac and cheese.
- Cook Macaroni: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stove. Add the macaroni noodles and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain the noodles and set aside.
- Prepare Cheese: While the noodles cook, shred the sharp cheddar and Swiss cheeses and set aside.
- Make Roux: Place a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add ¼ cup unsalted butter and let it melt. Whisk in ¼ cup flour to form a roux. Season with 1 ½ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon mustard powder, and 3-4 dashes of hot sauce. Continue whisking and cook for 1-2 minutes to develop flavor.
- Add Half and Half: Reduce heat to medium-low. Slowly pour in the half and half while whisking continuously to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil for a smooth sauce.
- Melt Cheese Into Sauce: Stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (reserving ¼ cup for the topping) along with all the Swiss cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese has fully melted into a creamy sauce.
- Combine Noodles and Sauce: Remove the saucepan from heat. Stir the cooked macaroni noodles into the cheese sauce until well coated. Transfer this mixture to a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Prepare Crust: Place Cheez-It crackers in a large zipper bag and crush them with a rolling pin or pulse them in a food processor until finely crushed. In a medium bowl, melt ¼ cup unsalted butter, then combine it with the crushed Cheez-Its and the reserved ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- Add Topping: Evenly sprinkle the Cheez-It crust mixture over the mac and cheese in the baking dish.
- Bake: Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes until bubbly and golden on top. For extra crispiness, switch the oven to broil on high for the last 2 minutes of baking, watching closely to prevent burning.
Notes
- You can substitute half and half with whole milk but the sauce may be slightly less rich.
- Adjust hot sauce or cayenne pepper based on your preferred spice level.
- For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free pasta and cornstarch instead of all-purpose flour.
- Be careful when broiling the topping; watch the dish closely to prevent the crust from burning.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat nicely in the oven or microwave.
