Million Greenback Mac and Cheese Casserole Recipe

This lusciously creamy million buck mac and cheese casserole is made with 3 various kinds of cheese and a crispy, buttery panko topping. It’s so extremely excellent, everybody might be going again for seconds!

Why You’ll Love This Do-it-yourself Mac and Cheese Recipe

This creamy do-it-yourself mac and cheese recipe is so awesome we name it ‘million buck mac and cheese’ round our area! Right here’s why it’s the most productive:

• So Tacky: The lusciously creamy sauce is made with 3 various kinds of cheese: cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Gruyere cheese!
• Circle of relatives Favourite: No person can withstand do-it-yourself mac and cheese! It’s the final convenience meals this is at all times a success amongst each the children and adults.
• Easy: Don’t be intimated, it’s more straightforward than you assume to make. Simply whisk the sauce till easy and melty, layer the whole thing in combination, and bake till bubbly.
• Flexible: Upload lobster, pulled beef, truffle oil, or crispy bacon and many others. There are such a lot of tactics so as to add extra taste.

What Is Million Greenback Mac and Cheese?

Million buck mac and cheese is a vintage American facet dish. It’s like your favourite mac and cheese recipe, however higher. It’s richer, cheesier, and creamier thank you to a few types of cheese and a touch of milk.

Then it’s assembled in a casserole dish with an additional layer of cheese and bitter cream within the heart for a good looking cheese pull when serving. The crispy panko topping additionally provides texture and makes it glance in particular spectacular.

On the lookout for a distinct taste? Check out my baked mac and cheese, simple stovetop mac and cheese or this pasta unfastened cauliflower mac and cheese.

Recipe Elements

Cavatappi pasta and a crispy panko topping carry this facet dish to new heights. Scroll all the way down to the recipe card for actual quantities.

• Cavatappi Noodles: Those seem like swirly elbow macaroni noodles. You’ll be able to use common elbow macaroni for those who want.
• Unsalted Butter: Attempt to keep away from salted butter since the cheese combination is already fairly salty.
• All-Goal Flour: Used to thicken the roux, to make the do-it-yourself cheese sauce.
• Entire Milk: 2% works too, however you need the fats to create the most productive tasting sauce.
• Evaporated Milk: Heavy cream is a smart change, if wanted.
• Dijon Mustard: Don’t use American mustard since the taste could be very sharp and tangy. Should you should not have dijon mustard, change it for 1 teaspoon dried mustard.
• Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, salt and pepper.
• Cheddar Cheese: Opt for extra-sharp or sharp cheddar cheese. White cheddar may be tasty!
• Monterey Jack Cheese: It may be substituted for Colby Jack or Pepper Jack.
• Gruyère Cheese: Be happy to exchange it with Gouda or much more cheddar.
• Bitter Cream: Ricotta cheese will even paintings.

Topping

• Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs will create the most productive crispy texture, however common breadcrumbs paintings too.
• Butter: Opt for unsalted to stay issues from getting too salty.

How one can Make Mac and Cheese Casserole

The 2 secrets and techniques to any do-it-yourself macaroni and cheese recipe are correctly cooked pasta and a creamy, easy sauce. Scroll to the recipe card at backside of the submit for complete detailed directions. 

• Boil: Prepare dinner the pasta consistent with the package deal instructions minus one minute. Drain, rinse with cool water to stop sticking and put aside.
• Roux: Soften the butter in a big saucepan and blend within the flour to create a roux. Whisk within the milk and evaporated milk till easy. Upload the mustard and seasonings and simmer till thickened.
• Cheese: Stir within the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, till melted and easy. Fold within the cooked macaroni.
• Compile: Pour part of the pasta combination into the casserole dish. Sprinkle part of the Gruyere on most sensible. Unfold the bitter cream on most sensible. Upload the rest pasta after which sprinkle the rest cheese excessive.
• Topping: Mix the panko breadcrumbs with melted butter in a small bowl. Unfold excessive.
• Bake: Bake in preheated oven till scorching and bubbly and the topping is a mild golden brown.
• Serve: Take away from the oven and let it cool for five mins. Serve and revel in.

Prepare dinner’s Guidelines

A couple of guidelines to verify your mac and cheese recipe seems completely!

• Freshly Shredded Cheese: Whilst it’s more straightforward to grasp already shredded cheese, pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking brokers that act as a thickener. So for those who use pre-shredded cheese, it’ll overly thicken your cheese sauce. I extremely suggest shredding your individual cheese!
• Don’t Over-Prepare dinner Pasta: Set a timer for your telephone to remind your self to take away the pasta once it’s al-dente. Over-cooking the noodles will result in a smooth macaroni and cheese.
• One-Pot: Use a big dutch-oven, or a solid iron skillet, to arrange this recipe so you’ll be able to pass from stove-to-oven and scale back clean-up.
• Make Forward: Let the mac and cheese cool to room temperature while you switch it to the casserole dish. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for as much as 24 hours. Let is about out at room temperature for half-hour earlier than cooking. Then, most sensible with breadcrumb combination and bake as directed.

Diversifications To Check out

If it’s already a “million buck” recipe, why no longer upload some truffle oil or lobster?

• Leftover Cheeses: Shred all of the leftover bits of melty cheese to your refrigerator and use them for this recipe. It’ll be a singular cheese combine!
• Truffle: Drizzle 1 to two tablespoons of truffle oil over the casserole for an excellent truffle mac and cheese. You’ll be able to whip up a batch of roasted mushrooms, cube them and stir them into the pasta.
• Seafood: Lift the dish by way of including chunks of cooked buttery lobster, or crab meat, for a sumptuous seafood twist.
• Smoked: If you need your mac and cheese to have a lovely smoky taste, change the gruyere cheese for smoked gouda.
• Garlic: Should you love garlic and wish extra garlic taste, upload 3 to five cloves minced garlic while you upload the garlic powder.
• Sir Francis Bacon: You’ll be able to upload cooked and chopped bacon to the pasta, as a topping, or each!

What to Serve with Mac and Cheese Casserole

This velvety mac and cheese casserole is the easiest facet dish regardless of the instance. Listed here are some amusing pairing concepts:

How To Retailer Leftovers

Don’t freeze this casserole, the sauce will break up and the pasta will transform smooth.

• Refrigerator: Refrigerate it in an hermetic container for as much as 5 days. You’ll be able to additionally quilt the casserole dish with foil.
• Reheat: Sprinkle a serving with 1/2 teaspoon milk and microwave in 30-second periods, till heat. Or bake within the oven at 325°F, calmly lined with foil for quarter-hour, then exposed for five mins extra.

Print Pin Recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Million Greenback Mac and Cheese Casserole

This Million Greenback Mac and Cheese casserole recipe lives as much as its' title with 3 types of cheese and a crispy, buttery panko topping. It’s so extremely excellent, everybody might be going again for seconds!

Prep Time20 mins mins

Prepare dinner Time30 mins mins

Overall Time50 mins mins

Elements

• 1 lb cavatrappi noodles, or elbow noodles
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups complete milk
• 1 (12 ounces) can evaporated milk
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, freshly shredded (about 2 cups)
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, freshly shredded (about 2 cups)
• 8 ounces Gruyère cheese, freshly shredded (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup bitter cream

Directions 

• Warmth the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Put aside.

• Prepare dinner the pasta until al dente, consistent with the package deal instructions, cooking for one minute lower than the instructions require. (The pasta will cook dinner extra within the oven, don't over cook dinner it!) Drain pasta and rinse with cool water to stop sticking.

• Whilst the noodles cook dinner, soften the butter in a big skillet. Stir within the flour and cook dinner for 1 minute.

• Whisk within the milk and evaporated milk until easy. Upload the dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley and black pepper, stirring to mix. Convey to a simmer and cook dinner till the sauce starts to thicken, about 3 mins.

• Stir within the cheddar cheese and Monterey jack cheese, till melted and easy. Fold within the noodles. (In case your skillet isn’t large enough, you'll be able to do that in a big bowl.)

• Pour part the tacky noodles into the ready casserole dish. Then lightly most sensible casserole with part the gruyere cheese. Unfold the entire bitter cream on most sensible of the gruyere. Upload the rest noodles on most sensible and sprinkle the rest gruyere cheese excessive.

• Mix the panko breadcrumbs and melted butter in combination in a small bowl. Calmly unfold over the cheese layer.

• Position within the oven and bake for half-hour, till scorching and bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Let leisure for five to ten mins to arrange, then serve!

Notes

Retailer: Refrigerate leftovers it in an hermetic container for as much as 5 days. You'll be able to additionally quilt the casserole dish with foil. Reheat: Sprinkle a serving with 1/2 teaspoon milk and microwave in 30-second periods, till heat. Or bake within the oven at 325°F, calmly lined with foil for quarter-hour, then exposed for five mins extra. Make Forward: Let the mac and cheese cool to room temperature while you switch it to the casserole dish. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for as much as 24 hours. Let is about out at room temperature for half-hour earlier than cooking. Then, most sensible with breadcrumb combination and bake as directed. Dijon Mustard: Don’t use American mustard since the taste could be very sharp and tangy. Should you should not have dijon mustard, change it for 1 teaspoon dried mustard. Freshly Shredded Cheese: Whilst it's more straightforward to grasp already shredded cheese, pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking brokers that act as a thickener. So for those who use pre-shredded cheese, it'll overly thicken your cheese sauce. I extremely suggest shredding your individual cheese! Don’t Over-Prepare dinner Pasta: Set a timer for your telephone to remind your self to take away the pasta once it's al-dente. Over-cooking the noodles will result in a smooth macaroni and cheese. One-Pot: Use a big dutch-oven, or a solid iron skillet, to arrange this recipe so you'll be able to pass from stove-to-oven and scale back clean-up.

Diet

Serving: 1 serving, Energy: 636kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 30g, Fats: 50g, Saturated Fats: 29g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g, Monounsaturated Fats: 13g, Trans Fats: 0.4g, Ldl cholesterol: 152mg, Sodium: 710mg, Potassium: 400mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10g, Diet A: 1511IU, Diet C: 1mg, Calcium: 968mg, Iron: 1mg

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