About
Cha-ching! That's the sound your taste buds will make once you take a bite of Million Dollar Mac! This take on classic macaroni and cheese elevates every part of the dish to its richest form; the cheese sauce is a horde of sharp, creamy, tangy, and buttery flavors, and the pasta is tender and perfect for catching every drop of the sauce. It even has a layer of sour cream melted into it for an even more creamy tang. The bread crumb and Gruyère topping serve as a buttery, smoky top hat to each serving. Million Dollar Mac is ready for a night out on the town and ready to whisk your tongue away to sparkling ballrooms!
Ingredients
- For the mac and cheese:
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
- 1 (16-ounce) box cavatappi noodles
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 2 cups Gruyère cheese, shredded
- 1 cup sour cream
- For the topping:
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 -Using a pastry brush, butter the bottom and sides of a 4-quart casserole dish with 2 tablespoons of the softened butter.
Step 3 -In a large stockpot, boil the noodles until al dente, according to the package directions.
Step 4 -Drain the noodles and return them to the stockpot.
Step 5 -In a large saucepan, on medium-high heat, melt 1/4 cup of the remaining softened butter.
Step 6 -Add the flour and whisk until all of the flour is incorporated, the raw flour smell dissipates, and the mixture is light brown in color, about 2 minutes.
Step 7 -While whisking, slowly pour the milk and half-and-half into the flour mixture until a smooth béchamel sauce forms.
Step 8 -Add the Dijon mustard, the seasoned salt, 1 teaspoon of the parsley, and the black pepper to the béchamel.
Step 9 -Cook, constantly whisking until the béchamel has thickened, about 6-8 minutes.
Step 10 -Turn off the heat.
Step 11 -Add the cheddar and the Monterey Jack cheeses to the béchamel in 1-cup increments, whisking before each new addition.
Step 12 -Pour the cheese sauce into the stockpot, stirring to make sure all the noodles are evenly coated.
Step 13 -Pour 1/2 of the noodle mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
Step 14 -Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of the Gruyère cheese over top of the noodles.
Step 15 -Dollop the sour cream over the Gruyère layer, smoothing it out into an even layer.
Step 16 -Add the remaining noodle mixture on top of the sour cream layer.
Step 17 -Top evenly with the remaining Gruyère cheese.
Step 18 -In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, the remaining melted butter, the remaining parsley, and the kosher salt until well-combined.
Step 19 -Sprinkle the topping mixture over the mac and cheese.
Step 20 -Bake until golden-brown and the cheese sauce is bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Step 21 -Allow the mac and cheese to rest for 10-15 minutes.
Step 22 -Serve.
