Baked Macaroni and Cheese

It's BBQ season which means lots of grilling, baking and lots of sides! And macaroni and cheese is the ultimate BBQ side dish. It is a comfort food for me. Even when it isn’t BBQ season, macaroni and cheese can just fill you with so much happiness and joy. Makes you feel all good inside.

This recipe is my simple and humble Macaroni and Cheese. And I'm sure you will all agree, simple is sometimes the best!

You can always change this recipe up and add some extras like meat, extra cheese, etc. But I wanted to share my simplified recipe with you all today.

Preparation and Cook Time 30 minutes

Bake Time 20 minutes

Serves 8-10 people

Ingredients

500 grams short pasta- dried

Salt- to taste

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

4 cup whole milk - warm

1 clove of garlic- minced

1 teaspoon paprika

250 grams grated cheddar cheese

Salt and black pepper- to taste

Topping

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper- to taste

4 tablespoons butter - melted

Instructions

1. Cook pasta in salted and oiled water until half cooked. Drain and set it aside.

2. Melt butter in a pan. Add the flour and whisk it in. Cook it until foamy and slightly golden. This will take around 3-4 minutes.

3. Slowly add the milk, whisking the whole time, then add the paprika, salt and pepper. Bring it to a simmer and mix it well.

4. Add the cheese and mix it well until fully incorporated. Check the seasoning and adjust as needed.

5. Add the pasta and mix well to coat the pasta in the sauce.

6. Preheat the oven to 200c

7. Transfer the pasta into a 9x13 inch pyrex dish. Set it aside.

8. Combine all the ingredients for the breadcrumbs. Mix well until combined.

9. Top the pasta with the breadcrumbs.

10. Bake at 200c for 20 minutes, until bubbling on the top and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

11. Cool the Mac and Cheese for 5-10 minutes before serving.