Time to get fancy! Put on a bow tie or a fancy dress! Pour the champagne and get those pinkies out! And for the main course, Pinkies-Up Pasta! How appropriate for the occasion! This is a super creamy, super cheesy mac and cheese, with a crunchy, buttery cracker crust that has a hint of zesty ranch mixed right in! Plenty of garlic helps elevate the tender noodles to black-tie status! Pinkies-Up Pasta is a fancy and fantastic dish designed (and dressed) to impress.
Ingredients
- 2 cups buttery round crackers, lightly crushed
- 2 tablespoons powdered ranch dressing mix
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- kosher salt, to taste
- 1 small yellow onion, grated
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 12 ounces sharp yellow cheddar, grated
- 12 ounces Monterey Jack, grated
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Lightly grease a 9×13-inch or 3-quart baking dish.
Step 3 –Combine the cracker crumbs and the powdered ranch in a bowl.
Step 4 –Microwave 4 tablespoons of the butter in a bowl until melted and pour it over the cracker mixture, tossing to coat.
Step 5 –Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
Step 6 –Drain the pasta and reserve the pot.
Step 7 –Melt the remaining butter in the reserved pot over medium-high heat.
Step 8 –Add the onion and the garlic to the butter.
Step 9 –Cook the onion mixture, stirring, until it begins to soften, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 10 –Add the flour to the onion mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until a film starts to form on the bottom of the pot, about 1 minute.
Step 11 –Gradually whisk the milk into the onion mixture and whisk until smooth, after each addition.
Step 12 –Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until it is thickened and smooth, about 6-8 minutes.
Step 13 –Gradually add the cheddar and the Monterey Jack to the sauce, whisking until the cheese has melted, after each addition.
Step 14 –Season the sauce with the salt.
Step 15 –Stir the noodles into the sauce.
Step 16 –Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared pan.
Step 17 –Top the pasta mixture with the cracker mixture.
Step 18 –Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the crumbs are golden-brown, about 18-20 minutes.
Step 19 –Allow the pasta to cool slightly before serving.
