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White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
Side Dish

White Cheddar Mac and Cheese

This easy baked White Cheddar Mac and Cheese is perfect for your Thanksgiving table! It's an ultra gooey mac and cheese recipe with crispy breadcrumbs.
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Makes: 10 servings

Ingredients

Mac and Cheese

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 small shallots, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups half and half, warmed
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 8 oz white cheddar, shredded
  • 4 oz gruyere cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 16 oz medium shells pasta
  • kosher salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper

Topping

  • 1 cup fresh or panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

  • Preheat an oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with softened butter.
  • Boil the pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente. The pasta should still have some bite to it. This process is usually 2-3 minutes shy of the package instructions. Drain and rinse your pasta with cold water. If you do this step in advance, toss the pasta with a little oil to keep it from sticking.
  • Make the roux. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once the butter and melted and foamy, add the diced shallots. Cook, stirring often, until the shallots are soft, about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle the thyme leaves in with the flour and stir well to form a paste. Cook for 2 minutes.
  • Make the bechamel. Slowly whisk in the warmed half and half in small increments to avoid lumps. Once all the half and half is whisked in, add the dijon and pinch of nutmeg and continue to stir while the sauce simmers for 5-7 minutes, until thickened.
  • Add the cheese. Remove the bechamel from the heat and stir in the shredded cheeses and the parmesan until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the cooked paste and stir well. Add the mac and cheese to the buttered baking dish.
  • Mix the breadcrumb topping. In a small mixing bowl, toss the breadcrumbs with the melted butter, thyme, parmesan, salt and pepper. Spread over the mac and cheese in an even layer.
  • Bake. Bake the mac and cheese for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.

Nutrition

Calories: 577kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 22gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 502mgPotassium: 307mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1054IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 508mgIron: 2mg