Cha-ching! That’s the sound your taste buds will make once you take a bite of Million Dollar Mac! This take on classic macaroni and cheese elevates every part of the dish to its richest form; the cheese sauce is a horde of sharp, creamy, tangy, and buttery flavors, and the pasta is tender and perfect for catching every drop of the sauce. It even has a layer of sour cream melted into it for an even more creamy tang. The bread crumb and Gruyère topping serve as a buttery, smoky top hat to each serving. Million Dollar Mac is ready for a night out on the town and ready to whisk your tongue away to sparkling ballrooms!
Ingredients
For the mac and cheese:
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
- 1 (16-ounce) box cavatappi noodles
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 2 cups Gruyère cheese, shredded
- 1 cup sour cream
For the topping:
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Using a pastry brush, butter the bottom and sides of a 4-quart casserole dish with 2 tablespoons of the softened butter.
Step 3 –In a large stockpot, boil the noodles until al dente, according to the package directions.
Step 4 –Drain the noodles and return them to the stockpot.
Step 5 –In a large saucepan, on medium-high heat, melt 1/4 cup of the remaining softened butter.
Step 6 –Add the flour and whisk until all of the flour is incorporated, the raw flour smell dissipates, and the mixture is light brown in color, about 2 minutes.
Step 7 –While whisking, slowly pour the milk and half-and-half into the flour mixture until a smooth béchamel sauce forms.
Step 8 –Add the Dijon mustard, the seasoned salt, 1 teaspoon of the parsley, and the black pepper to the béchamel.
Step 9 –Cook, constantly whisking until the béchamel has thickened, about 6-8 minutes.
Step 10 –Turn off the heat.
Step 11 –Add the cheddar and the Monterey Jack cheeses to the béchamel in 1-cup increments, whisking before each new addition.
Step 12 –Pour the cheese sauce into the stockpot, stirring to make sure all the noodles are evenly coated.
Step 13 –Pour 1/2 of the noodle mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
Step 14 –Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of the Gruyère cheese over top of the noodles.
Step 15 –Dollop the sour cream over the Gruyère layer, smoothing it out into an even layer.
Step 16 –Add the remaining noodle mixture on top of the sour cream layer.
Step 17 –Top evenly with the remaining Gruyère cheese.
Step 18 –In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, the remaining melted butter, the remaining parsley, and the kosher salt until well-combined.
Step 19 –Sprinkle the topping mixture over the mac and cheese.
Step 20 –Bake until golden-brown and the cheese sauce is bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Step 21 –Allow the mac and cheese to rest for 10-15 minutes.
Step 22 –Serve.
