Go Back

Roasted Garlic Mac and Cheese

Require your homemade mac and cheese into fresh heights by adding Roasted Garlic. The caramelized sign of this garlic leaves this baked mac and cheese really irresistible!
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 738kcal
Author Susan

Ingredients

  • 14 oz elbow-macaroni (or other short-cut pasta)
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar, grated
  • 1 large bulb of garlic
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 cups mozzarella, shredded
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs, or as needed
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • 4 cups milk, at room temp
  • 1 tbsp dijon-mustard
  • 1 cup parmesan, grated
  • olive-oil or oil-spray
  • fresh Chives, finely diced
  • salt and black-pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Slice off the tip the garlic bulb to expose the cloves, drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil. Pop in the oven for 45-60minutes in 356°F or till golden-brown and soft as butter.
  • Squeeze the garlic out & blend with a pinch of salt to fully smooth out it. Add into a large saucepan with butter and stir to blend. Stir in flour to make a paste, then pour in your milk, whisking as you go to prevent lumps. Once thickened, add mustard then seasoning, then stir into your cheese (remember to spare half parmesan).
  • Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted boiling water until just cooked. You need it still somewhat difficult. Reserve a cup of starchy-pasta water (see notes) then drain and combine with cheese-sauce.
  • Add everything to a baking dish, top with parmesan then breadcrumbs & complete with a pinch of salt & oil spray and pepper. Pop in the oven in 390°F for 20minutes or until golden on top. Sprinkle fresh-chives on the top and then serve.

Notes

  • Roasted Garlic - timings will vary based upon how big the garlic, so just be cautious after 40-45minutes. If it seems like it is turning too dark too fast just lower the temperature.
  • Al dente pasta - you would like to ensure that the pasta is just just cooked. It will finish cooking when you bake it in the oven.
  • Consistency or Pasta Water - the sauce might appear overly stringy at the beginning, but if you add pasta, the small piece of water that comes with this will help smooth it out and then twist the sauce shiny. Utilize more pasta water as necessary to assist this. Additionally, when rice is inserted there might seem an excessive amount of sauce, but it is going to thicken once baked.
  • Sauce - make sure that the sauce has thickened until you put in the cheese, do not use the cheese to thicken the sauce or it'll lose it's feel (particularly the mozzarella).
  • Chives - try to not think of them as only garnish, they include stunning flavour to the dish. I use around a tablespoon to scatter on top, but function to taste.