Baked Mac and Cheese with Bread Crumbs
Creamy oven-baked mac and cheese with breadcrumbs is the ultimate comfort food, inspired by Cracker Barrel and Chick-fil-A. Made with Velveeta and cheddar or your favorite cheeses, plus sour cream and chicken or veggie bouillon for extra flavor.
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 527kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 4 cups whole milk add more for a creamier sauce
- 2 cups uncooked elbow or cavatappi spiral macaroni
- 3 chicken bouillon cubes** crushed
- 8 oz American or Velveeta cheese*
- 8 oz mild cheddar cheese
- 4 oz sour cream optional
- salt to taste
- ¼ cup Panko or Italian bread crumbs
- Barbecue sauce optional
Instructions
- Cook macaroni noodles as directed on the package, stirring frequently. Be sure to generously salt your water. Drain and set aside.
- In a dutch oven or deep dish cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour; continually stir and cook for 1 min to cook out the flour taste. Gradually stir in milk and crushed chicken bullion cubes and bring to boil; cook and stir until thick. Congrats, you have made a roux! Now, let's make it cheesy...
- Add American (or Velveeta) and cheddar cheese; stir and cook until thoroughly melted. Remove from heat and fold in cooked macaroni then sour cream. Add salt to taste.
- Sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350˚for 15-20 minutes, uncovered or until breadcrumbs are light golden brown.
- Serve topped with barbecue sauce for an amazing flavor kick! (optional)
Video
Notes
- Sauce will thicken after it bakes.
- Use 16oz total cheese of your choice.
- You can make this without any chicken bullion at all, or use less if you prefer a less savory, more classic mac and cheese flavor.
- If your mac and cheese tastes bland, you probably need a little more salt to bring out all the flavor!
Nutrition
Calories: 527kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 1175mg | Potassium: 342mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1024IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 673mg | Iron: 1mg
