Baked Macaroni & Cheese
What's not to love about this comfort classic? Creamy, three-cheese sauce and corkscrew cavatappi are topped with buttery, seasoned Ritz crumbs and baked to delicious perfection.
Ingredients
- 1 lb cavatappi
- 8 oz white wine
- ½ cup onion, finely chopped
- ½ tbsp garlic, minced
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 20 oz cheddar cheese, grated plus ¼ cup for topping
- 10 oz Monteray Jack cheese, grated
- ¼ cup grated mozzarella cheese
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Ritz Crumbs:
- 7 oz Ritz crackers, finely crumbled
- 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ lb butter, melted
- ½ tbsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt
- ½ tbsp chopped fresh oregano
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- To make the sauce, combine wine, onions and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat. Reduce wine by 75%.
- In a separate saucepan, bring heavy cream to a simmer over medium heat. Add reduced wine into cream.
- Stir in cheeses until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Make the Ritz crumbs by mixing the cracker crumbs with Parmesan, salt, and oregano in a small bowl. Add melted butter and stir to coat the crumbs.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Butter a 9x14 baking dish.
- Add pasta to the sauce, using the reserved liquid to loosen as needed.
- Transfer to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top with ¼ cup grated cheddar and ¼ cup grated mozzarella. Sprinkle with Ritz crumbs. Bake until cheese and melted and top is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
