Creamy Baked Mac & Cheese

I love mac & cheese! The cheesier the better. But I’m also trying to remove some of the covid fat, so how do I make this dish creamy and taste cheesy? Answer? Keep reading!

mac & cheese

Here’s How to Make the Mac & Cheese:

Cook the mac (macaroni) until it’s soft but still slightly firm. The technical term is al dente, from the Italian, to the tooth. For vegetables that usually means they are hot but still have some crunch.

For pasta that means it’s tender enough that it moves, but when you bite there is still a little firmness (but not crunch).

Drain.

While the pasta is draining, place the butter and ricotta in the pan.

Add the drained mac on top of it and stir in. Stir in the milk and 2/3 of the cheese, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Place the entire mixture in a casserole dish and top it with the bread crumbs, then the remaining cheese.

Bake at 350° until the cheese bubbles and the top is brown.

mac & cheese

Serve it hot and steaming!

© Copyright 2020 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 3 votes
Creamy Baked Mac & Cheese

The addition of some ricotta cheese gives this dish a creamy cheesy taste with a lot less fat!

Course: Main Course, main dish, Pasta, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, comfort food
Keyword: baked, cheddar, cheese, macaroni, ricotta
Servings: 4 servings
Author: HelenFern
Ingredients
  • 8 oz uncooked elbow macaroni (about 2 cups)
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 2/3 cup park skim ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup low fat milk
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water until it's soft but still slightly firm. Drain.

  2. While the pasta is draining, place the butter and ricotta in the pan.

  3. Add the drained macaroni on top of it and stir in. Stir in the milk and 2/3 of the cheese, adding salt and pepper to taste.

  4. Place the entire mixture in casserole dish and top it with the bread crumbs, then the remaining cheese.

  5. Bake at 350° until the cheese bubbles and the top is brown.

  6. Serve it hot and steaming!

Recipe Notes

© Copyright 2020 The Lazy Gastronome

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7 Responses to Creamy Baked Mac & Cheese

  1. I love mac and cheese!! Looks so yum, Helen! Happy holidays! Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday party!

    • HelenFern says:

      Me too!! There used to be a restaurant in Portland that was just macaroni and cheese – just about any way you can think of. Sadly the pandemic put them out of business. Have a great holiday Jhuls. Thanks for stopping by.

  2. Miz Helen says:

    5 stars
    Creamy Baked Mac-Cheese, one of my all time favorites! Hope you had a great Christmas and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday,516. We hope to see you back here again soon!
    Miz Helen

  3. 5 stars
    ********************************************************
    Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Please stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn
    ********************************************************

  4. Colleen Linenberger says:

    5 stars
    Loved this! I added 1/4 cup of gouda, 1/4 cup more of milk for creaminess and put a couple of spoonfuls of ricotta on the top. After baking for 15 min, I put it under the broiler to get the top bubbly and golden! It turned out to be the best mac and cheese we ever had!

    • HelenFern says:

      Thank you for telling me about your experience! I love to hear when readers try a recipe and how they personalized it. Have a wonderful week.

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