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Longhorn Steakhouse Mac and Cheese

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword baked mac and cheese, steakhouse mac and cheese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 607kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Cavatappi pasta cooked and drained
  • 6 tablespoons butter divided
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 2/3 cup Gruyere cheese shredded
  • 2/3 cup Fontina cheese shredded
  • 2/3 cup Cheddar cheese grated
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 slices bacon cooked until crisp and crumpled into bits
  • 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons of butter.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot (large enough to hold sauce and pasta) over medium heat. Whisk in flour to combine. Cook for 1 minute stirring constantly to make a roux. Slowly whisk in half and half. Keep whisking and cooking until mixture bubbles and thickens. It should be the consistency of pancake batter, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat.
  • Stir in cheeses and spices. Mix until cheeses are completely melted.
  • Fold pasta into cheese sauce. Toss to coat.
  • Pour mac and cheese mixture into buttered baking dish. Spread smooth.
  • Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Mix melted butter into breadcrumbs.
  • Top mac n cheese with buttered breadcrumbs and crumpled bacon bits.
  • Bake 20 minutes until breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Video

Notes

Cook the pasta al dente in salted boiling water according to the package directions.
Gently heat the half and half to make sure it doesn't boil. The milk can burn easily so whisk it continuously as it heats up.
Add the grated cheese in stages. Let each batch of cheese melt before adding in the next one.
Top the casserole with additional cheese. There's no need to be light on the cheese. Make the top extra gooey by sprinkling on your favorite grated cheese on top.

Nutrition

Calories: 607kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 438mg | Potassium: 350mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 887IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 468mg | Iron: 2mg