Ultimate Baked Mac 'n' Cheese

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Ingredients
3 cups uncooked elbow pasta
1/4 c salted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder or 1 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper
​3.5 cups milk (the higher fat content the better)
1/2 c Miss Hélène's Buffalo Sauce
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder (or 2 tsp prepared mustard)
1/2 tsp Hungarian paprika
2 cups of grated shredded old cheddar cheese
2 cups of grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/4 c real bacon bits

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Buffalo Sauce

CA$10.00

Our Buffalo sauce is the perfect mixture of hot sauce, zesty blue cheese and creamy ranch dressing. The blue cheese provides that wonderful zing that will have your taste buds begging for more.

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Topping:
 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
 1 tablespoon butter diced and softened
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp hungarian paprika

Cooking and Prep Time: 1 hr 30 minutes
Serving Size: Serves 8-10 people 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a lightly greased (or lined with parchment paper) lasagna pan, casserole dish or large baking pan.
2. In a large pot of roughly 8 cups of boiling water add 1 tsp sea salt, and olive oil, add pasta and cook according to package directions until slighlty less than al dente (it will continue cooking in the oven). When pasta is done, drain the water out of the pasta and set the pasta aside.
3. While pasta is cooking, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and thyme, stirring for about 1 minute until fragrant. 
4. Whisk the flour into the butter and spices creating a rue, and continue cooking, whisking continuously for roughly 1 minute. 
5. In a slow steady stream, whisking the milk into the rue constantly until smooth. Continue cooking and whisking often until mixture is thickened, about 5-7 minutes. 
6. Add mustard, salt, pepper and paprika. 
7. Reserve 1/2 cup each of the shredded cheese and set aside. Slowly stir in the rest of the shredded  cheeses and cream cheese until smooth. Remove from heat.
8. Stir your prepared sauce into your pasta coating it well. 
9. Scrape the saucy macaroni pasta into your prepared casserole dish.
10. Sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese and half of the real bacon bits.
11. To make the topping, combine the panko bread crumbs with the parmesean cheese, real bacon bits, sea salt, pepper and paprika. Using your hands, rub the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse sand. Sprinkle over the pasta.
12. Bake at 400°F for approx 25 minutes until the top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling.  let stand 10 minutes before serving.

TIPS:

• To reheat leftover mac and cheese, stir in a little bit of milk or cream or more Buffalo sauce and microwave partially covered.  Stir often, roughly every 30 -45 seconds as it reheats.
• You don't have to bake it! If you prefer an unbaked mac and cheese cook the pasta all the way until al dente and leave out the topping. You can also reduce cheese by about 3/4. Reserve a smidge of the shredded cheese to sprinkle on top for looks. 
• Use freshly shredded cheese!  – Bags of pre-shredded cheese often contains a starchy substance that keeps the cheese from clumping… which also prohibits it from melting as well as it should.
• Use various cheeses. Feel free to change up the cheeses to suit your likes.
• Cook the pasta less than you normally would for baked mac n cheese (approx 8 minutes for a regular 12 minute pasta)  The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, and you don’t want it to get mushy.

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