This Bold 30-Minute Baked Mac-n-Cheese Recipe is an ode to my old friend, Ossie’s Mac-n-Cheese! This creamy, cheesy, mac-n-cheese with a crunchy, seasoned breadcrumb topping makes a perfect side or a hearty dinner. This is comfort food at its finest!
I will often whip up a batch of pan of this Bold 30-Minute Baked Mac-n-Cheese when I’m putting together a BBQ themed dinner. For example, it’s a perfect side to my Balsamic BBQ Pork Tenderloin. Throw in a side of Easy 5-Ingredient Sweet and Sour Greens, Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Muffins, a little Bless Your Heart Sweet Tea and you got yourself a proper spread.
So if a big bowl of Bold 30-Minute Baked Mac-n-Cheese sounds like your kind of side of cheesy carb comfort, read on for the recipe.
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A lot of love for old friends and family recipes in this Bold 30-Minute Baked Mac-n-Cheese
Many years ago, I had a friend from the Bahamas who was a chef. We met in culinary school and were fast friends throughout the program. We shared a similar cooking style and we frequently exchanged recipes. He had a passion for savory, and true to my website name, I mostly liked to bake, so I chose the pastry path instead. Needless to say, whenever we got together to cook, we had a lovely, well-rounded menu.
Ossie’s mac-n-cheese recipe was his Grandmother’s. And like all great chefs and home cooks, he learned to cook his Gran’s mac by feel and taste. One day, he agreed to teach me how to make it. However, it was one of those recipes that changed from one time to the next. He said she would often switch it up, depending on the ingredients she had on hand. So, I did my best to follow along.
True to his Grandmother’s style, he’d chop a handful of this and add a dash of that, taste and adjust accordingly. It was amazingly rich, delicious and different! I’d never had mac with “things’ in it before. Today, it’s common place to see mac on the menu that can be custom built to any flavor profile, but back then, it was less common.
Ossie went back to the Bahamas and we eventually lost touch, but his mac remains the standard I am always judging other mac-n-cheese recipes against as my personal favorite.
Bold 30-Minute Baked Mac-n-Cheese is an homage to an old friend’s recipe. And my best effort to remember, recreate and personalize by feel and taste. Of course, my version has evolved over the years, but the foundation of Ossie’s recipe remains.
For starters, I use Cavatappi pasta instead of traditional elbow macaroni. I find the shape of this whimsical Italian pasta holds its shape and delivers just the right amount of sauce in each bite. I’m also not a huge fan of green peppers. They are a little too bitter for my taste. For this reason, I have switched to a sweeter, milder red bell pepper. I also like the color contrast it provides in this dish. Finally, I use equal parts sharp cheddar and pepper jack cheese and reduce the amount of jalapeno pepper in the dish overall. This delivers a little heat, but prevents any bitter pepper flavor from overpowering the dish. We want the cheese to remain the star of the show here!
Perfect Pairings
I usually serve this recipe for Bold 30-Minute Baked Mac-n-Cheese with my Balsamic BBQ Pork Tenderloin in the fall. The sweet, vinegar sauce just pairs so nicely with the creamy mac. Deviled eggs are an easy and quick appetizer that always has a place at the BBQ table. If cooking the perfect hard boiled egg has always been a challenge for you, check out my short video on how to cook Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs every time and achieve deviled egg perfection. And if you’re looking to round out your game day menu, try the Lemon Glazed Cornmeal Cookies for dessert.
Bold 30-Minute Baked Mac-n-Cheese
Course: Side, EntreeCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Intermediate10
servings40
minutes30
minutesIngredients
- For the Mac
3 cups dried cavatappi pasta, cooked al dente and drained.
1/2 cup white onion, 1/4 inch dice
1/2 cup red bell pepper, 1/4 inch dice
1 Tbsp. fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup half & half
1 cup whole milk
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- For the Crumb Topping
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. Hungarian paprika
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. melted butter
Directions
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process, and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
- Mix the Panko, salt, pepper, paprika, dried parsley and melted butter into a well-blended crumb topping. Set aside.
- Prepare a 13 x 9 inch oven-safe baking pan by coating with non-stick spray. If you are using an oven-safe pot (stainless steel or ceramic coated dutch oven) you can skip this step.
- In the same pot the pasta was cooked in, saute the onions, red peppers, jalapeños and garlic with 1 Tbsp. butter and 1/2 tsp. salt until tender.
- Add the half & half and milk and bring to a high simmer, but do not allow the mixture to boil.
- Add the cheeses 1/2 cup at a time until incorporated into the hot milk and vegetable mixture. The hot milk will melt and absorb the cheese, gradually creating a rich sauce.
- Add the pasta back into the cheese sauce mixture and stir thoroughly. Remove from heat. If using the same pot, top the mac-n-cheese with the crumb topping. If using a separate baking pan, transfer the mac-n-cheese to the prepared pan and top with the crumb mixture.
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly around the edges and the crumb topping is crunchy. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving so the cheese sauce can settle into the pasta.
Notes
- This recipe easily serves 6 people as a main course and 10 as a side dish.
- A note on the jalapenos: If you like a little more heat, you can leave in the seeds and pith of the pepper. Adjust according to your taste.
