Simple Mac & Cheese

I usually make my homemade Mac & Cheese starting with a cheese sauce made from a roux, then adding cooked noodles. This recipe cooks the noodles directly in the milk/cream then adds the cheese. The crunchy topping is optional but is practically sprinkles for Mac and Cheese!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheese, pasta

Servings:

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
4 cups milk
12 oz elbow pasta
½-1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2-2 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2-2 ½ cups grated gruyere

Optional Topping

2 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove minced
¾ cup panko
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Add heavy cream and milk to a pot on medium-high heat. Stir in salt and pepper. Once the mixture starts to simmer, stir in the pasta. Once the pasta is almost al Dente, stir in the cheese and cook until melted.
For the topping, heat butter in a small skillet on medium heat. Once melted, sauté garlic 1 minute. Add the panko, season with salt and stir occasionally, until golden brown.