Description
This Baked Mac and Cheese with a Cheez-It crust is a creamy, cheesy comfort food with a crunchy, salty topping. Featuring a blend of sharp cheddar and Swiss cheeses in a seasoned roux-based sauce poured over tender macaroni, then baked to bubbly perfection with a unique Cheez-It crust, this dish elevates classic mac and cheese into an irresistible crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 16 ounces uncooked macaroni noodles
Cheese Sauce
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (shredded, divided into about 2 ¼ cups, reserve ¼ cup for topping)
- 8 ounces Swiss cheese (shredded, about 2 ¼ cups)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (divided into ¼ cup for sauce and ¼ cup for topping)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (or 2 tablespoons cornstarch as substitute)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 3-4 dashes hot sauce (or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper as alternative)
- 3 cups half and half (or whole milk)
Topping
- 2 cups Cheez-It crackers (crushed)
- Remaining ¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the mac and cheese later.
- Cook Macaroni: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over the stove. Add the macaroni noodles and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
- Shred Cheese: While the noodles are cooking, shred both the sharp cheddar and Swiss cheese, setting aside the reserved ¼ cup cheddar for the topping.
- Make Roux: Heat a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat on the stove. Add ¼ cup unsalted butter and melt completely. Stir in ¼ cup all-purpose flour and whisk continuously to form a smooth roux. Season with 1 ½ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon mustard powder, and 3-4 dashes of hot sauce or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Cook the roux for 1-2 minutes to enhance the flavors.
- Add Milk: Reduce heat to medium-low. Slowly pour in the 3 cups half and half while whisking constantly to combine with the roux. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil to thicken the sauce.
- Incorporate Cheese: Stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (reserving ¼ cup) and all the Swiss cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese melts smoothly into a creamy sauce. Remove from heat.
- Combine Macaroni and Sauce: Add the cooked macaroni noodles into the cheese sauce, folding gently to ensure noodles are coated evenly. Transfer the mixture into a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Prepare Crust: Crush 2 cups of Cheez-It crackers either by placing them in a large zipper bag and rolling with a rolling pin, or by pulsing in a food processor until coarse crumbs form.
- Mix Topping: In a medium bowl, melt the remaining ¼ cup unsalted butter. Combine the melted butter with the crushed Cheez-Its and the reserved ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- Top Mac and Cheese: Sprinkle the Cheez-It crust mixture evenly over the mac and cheese in the baking dish.
- Bake: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.
- Optional Broil: For an extra crispy crust, switch your oven setting to broil on high for the last 2 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning.
Notes
- You can substitute whole milk for half and half for a lighter sauce, though it may be less creamy.
- If unavailable, cornstarch can replace all-purpose flour in the roux, using 2 tablespoons instead of ¼ cup.
- Adjust the hot sauce or cayenne pepper to your preferred spice level.
- Be careful during the broil step, as the crust can burn quickly.
- For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free pasta and a gluten-free flour substitute for the roux.
- Cheez-It crackers add a distinctive cheesy crunch, but panko breadcrumbs can be used if desired.
