The Best Baked Mac and Cheese
Thank you to the Dairy Alliance for sponsoring this blog post. All opinions are my own.
Last week I had the opportunity to visit the Hatcher Family Dairy Farm in Tennessee. It was such a great experience and I left feeling so inspired. There are a lot of misconceptions about the dairy industry. A lot of people claim that animals are mistreated and dairy is bad for us. But those things are far from true.
The Hatcher Family Dairy Farm is super clean. Each of the cows also have names. They also have a Hall of Fame with cows that have passed away. It was really amazing to see what has been passed down from generation to generation at this family farm. I could tell that they are truly passionate about their work and their milk literally speaks for itself because its so good.
After touring the dairy, farm we enjoyed a diary inspired dinner that was absolutely delicious. I was inspired to create this baked mac and cheese recipe because of my visit to the farm.
Before we dive into the recipe here are some facts about dairy:
The dairy industry only produces about 2% of America’s greenhouse gas emissions
Dairy farmers care about protecting the land and their community
Cows are only given antibiotics when they are sick and in that case they are separated from the herd.
All milk is tested for antibiotics before before leaving the farm
There are so many misconceptions around dairy so always remember to do your research :)
What are the ingredients for baked mac and cheese?
In this recipe I used a unique combination of cheeses including gouda, parmesan and cheddar. I also used creme fraiche which is a thick cultured cream that tastes very similar to sour cream. It makes the mac and cheese super creamy and kind of tangy which goes super great with the saltiness of the cheese. Now let’s make some mac and cheese.
This mac and cheese is super rich and creamy and I really only make it a couple times of year. This recipe is definitely perfect for Thanksgiving or any other family gathering for that matter.
The Best Baked Mac and Cheese
ingredients:
- 10 oz pasta
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 (7oz) container creme fraiche
- 1 1/2 cups shredded gouda cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
- Salt & pepper
instructions:
How to cook The Best Baked Mac and Cheese
- Preheat oven to 350F. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions. Then drain. Set the pot aside. While the pasta is cooking add the butter to a pan over medium/high heat. Once the butter is melted, reduce the heat a little and add in the panko. Stir the panko frequently over medium heat until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Then remove from heat immediately.
- Add the creme fraiche into the pasta pot over medium heat. Once the creme fraiche is melted, stir in the shredded cheese. Then stir until the cheese is partially melted. Then stir in the pasta and mix until well coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Grease an 8x8 baking dish. Add the macaroni into the baking dish then top with the breadcrumbs and more cheese if desired. Bake for 20 minutes.