Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Creamy, cheesy, homemade macaroni and cheese filled with ham chunks and topped with toasty breadcrumbs.

To go in line with my previous post, Chicken Pot Pie, I am all about comfort foods right now. This Mac ‘n cheese is made from scratch, the sauce comes together on the stovetop, the noodles and cheese sauce get mixed in a pan and topped with bread crumbs, which get toasted to perfection in the oven. After you make macaroni and cheese from scratch you will never want a boxed Mac ‘n cheese again. I promise.

I’ve had so many friends request this recipe after I posted a few instagram stories of me making the cheese sauce. This is a great go-to basic recipe that doesn’t involve a ton of fancy cheeses. Don’t get me wrong, those are amazing too, but I wanted to share a simple classic recipe first, before posting a recipe requiring a more…expensive recipe list. This is another classic that I make a lot, and Paul and I love it. If you make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me @sprinkledwithjules on instagram and use the hashtag #sprinkledwithjules. Happy baking!

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Baked Macaroni and Cheese

by Julia Alvarez April-07-2020

Creamy, cheesy, homemade macaroni and cheese filled with ham chunks and topped with toasted breadcrumbs.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. elbow macaroni
• 2/3 stick butter
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 16 ounces shredded cheese (3 cheese blend)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 lb. ham steak, diced
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook noodles according to package insturctions, until al dente. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray (or wipe with olive oil) and pour the drained noodles into the pan. 2. In a large pot make a roux by melting the butter and cooking the flour in the melted butter. Stir constantly, to cook the flour, about 1 minute. Add in all the spices at this time and mix. 3. Slowly whisk in the milk and cream, starting with a little, making sure to mix the roux into the milk fully, before adding all the liiquid. 4. Heat the milk over medium heat just until scalding, right before it begins to simmer. Lower the heat and add all the cheese. Whisk the cheese in until cheese has melted and sauce has thickened. Add in the diced ham and remove from heat. 5. Pour cheese sauce over the noodles in the 9x13 pan and gently stir to coat all the noodles in the sauce. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top. 6. Bake the dish until breadcrumbs are golden and toasted, about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Details

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Yield: 1 9x13 inch dish