Macarrones con Queso

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You've never had Macarrones con Queso (Mac and Cheese) this creamy! Made with elbow pasta, extra sharp New York cheddar, evaporated milk, butter and finished with a crispy cracker topping. It's pure cheesy comfort in every bite!

Prep Time25

Cook Time20

Total Time45

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 442kcal

Author: Catherine Arena

Equipment

large casserole baking dish

Ingredients

1 lb elbow pasta cooked
1-2 tablespoon vegetable or corn oil

Cheese Sauce

3 (8 oz) bars extra sharp New York cheddar grated (not pre-shredded)
2 cans evaporated milk
4 tablespoon butter
⅓ cup flour
salt and pepper to taste

Topping

1 sleeve crackers
2 tablespoon butter melted

Instructions

Cook Pasta

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cook the pasta per the instructions on the box and drain using a colander. Add the oil to the pasta and stir well to prevent the pasta from clumping.

Cheese Sauce

Using a food processor with the grating disk attached, grate the cheese and set aside. (You can also use a box grater and grate manually).
Add the butter to a large pot over medium-low heat and allow to fully melt.
Gradually add the flour a little at a time, whisking constantly to form a roux.
Add salt and pepper to taste and stir.
While stirring constantly, pour in the evaporated milk and gradually add the grated cheese. Continue adding the cheese slowly, stirring as you go, until it's fully incorporated and a smooth, creamy sauce forms. Once the sauce is ready, turn off the heat.
Note: Reserve 1 cup of the cheese for layering.

Cracker Crumb and Assembly

Gradually add the cooked pasta to the sauce, a little at a time, stirring to coat it evenly. Continue until all the pasta is fully combined with the cheese sauce.
In a mini food chopper or blender, add the crackers and pulse until finely crushed. Add the cracker crumbs to a bowl and set aside.
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan or microwave, then mix it into the cracker crumbs. Stir well until the crumbs are evenly coated.
Grease a baking casserole dish with butter or cooking spray. Add half of the prepared pasta to the casserole.
Layer the pasta with the reserved cheese.
Add the rest of the prepared pasta. Cover the pasta with the prepared cracker crumbs.

Bake

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until bubbly and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Notes

Recipe Notes:

Grate Your Own Cheese - For the creamiest sauce, always grate your own cheese instead of using pre-shredded. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that affect the texture of the sauce.

Don't Overcook Your Pasta - Make sure to cook your pasta al dente and not more as it will continue cooking in the oven. Overcooked pasta will turn out mushy once baked with the cheese sauce.

Nutrition