Baked Penne and Cheese

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My eldest had an assignment in a high school class to come up with a recipe for a dinner.  She landed on mac and cheese because our family is kinda picky about how they like it.  Cheesy, but not overly saturated with too much cheese pull; just wonderfully flavorful and rich.  This was the recipe we cobbled together in 2018.  We have taken it to gatherings and had requests for the recipe, and of course we approve of it!  This post is as much for us to keep a record of how we like baked mac, as anything!

Say cheese!

 Of course you can use various cheese - actually, smoked Gouda is really good in mac and cheese!  It would stand in for a portion of the medium cheddar.


We served this with a smashed cucumber salad with Asian flavors and lots of garlic and they were wonderful together!

Baked Penne and Cheese
serves 10-12

4 cups half n half
4 oz cream cheese
1 lb box penne pasta
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp butter
One small onion, minced or grated
1 tsp garlic powder (or the kids actually love a couple cloves of fresh, pressed garlic)
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp mustard (we use Dijon)
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp Tabasco or similar hot sauce
¾ tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1½-2 cups each, shredded medium cheddar or part smoked Gouda, pepper jack, and sharp white cheddar (to taste) (we typically use 6oz each, medium cheddar and pepper jack, and 8oz sharp cheddar)
¼ cup of Parmesan
½ cup Panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp melted butter

Cook pasta in salted water until just barely al dente.  (Pasta will continue to cook in the oven.)  Drain and set aside.  (To make the pasta and sauce at the same time, start boiling the pasta once the half n half has been added to the roux and you are stirring to thicken.  It's easier to mix together if the sauce is done first.)
Bring half n half and cream cheese to simmer in a medium pot. Once cream cheese is melted, keep warm on low heat.
In a large saute or fry pan, saute the butter and onion until cooked. It should be only lightly browned.
Sprinkle on the flour and cook and stir for a minute or two to cook the flour.  It should get a creamy, bubbly look to it.
Add in the half n half mixture a little at a time, whisking in slowly.  Cook until thoroughly combined and thickened, about 7-10 minutes.
Stir in the mustard and Worcestershire.
Reserve and set aside 1-2 cups cheese for layering, then add the remaining cheese to the sauce and stir until melted and combined.  (Honestly, some of the time I just toss it all in the sauce and skip the layering!)
Mix in garlic powder, turmeric, white pepper, and salt.  Stir in the Tabasco.  Taste and add any salt or additional pepper if desired.  
Mix and fold the pasta into the sauce mixture until evenly coated and combined.
Pour half of the pasta into a 9x13" baking dish, then layer on half the reserved cheese. Add the remaining half of pasta and finish off with the rest of the reserved cheese.  Combine the panko and melted butter in a dish, then sprinkle the top with the crumbs.
Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbly.  Remove and let cool for a few minutes before serving.  You can broil at the end to get more color on the top if desired.

Note: The longer you bake mac and cheese, the firmer and less creamy the sauce will get as moisture evaporates and the pasta absorbs both moisture and sauce.  Over baking can lead to a broken sauce, FYI. 


Bubbly, cheesy pasta is wonderful
 
If you're a fan of macaroni and cheese, be sure to check all all these too:

 

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