Description
This Baked Mac and Cheese with Cheez-It Crust combines creamy sharp cheddar and Swiss cheese sauce with a crunchy, savory Cheez-It topping. It’s a comforting twist on the classic macaroni and cheese, baked to golden perfection and bursting with cheesy flavor and a crispy crust.
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 ounces uncooked macaroni noodles
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 ¼ cups)
- 8 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded (about 2 ¼ cups)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, divided
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (or 2 tablespoons cornstarch)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 3–4 dashes hot sauce (or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper)
- 3 cups half and half (or whole milk)
- 2 cups Cheez-It crackers
- ¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (reserved from above)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (melted)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F to prepare for baking the casserole later.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stove. Add the macaroni noodles and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- While noodles cook, shred both the sharp cheddar and Swiss cheeses; set aside.
- Place a large saucepan or Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat. Add ¼ cup of unsalted butter and let it melt completely. Then whisk in the ¼ cup of all-purpose flour to form a roux. Season the roux with salt, black pepper, mustard powder, and hot sauce. Continue whisking and cooking for another 1-2 minutes to develop flavor.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly pour in the 3 cups of half and half, whisking constantly to combine with the roux. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring frequently until smooth and slightly thickened.
- Stir in 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar and all the shredded Swiss cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese fully melts into a creamy sauce, then remove from heat.
- Add the cooked macaroni noodles into the cheese sauce and stir well to combine. Transfer the cheesy macaroni mixture evenly into a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Crush the Cheez-It crackers by placing them in a large zipper bag and using a rolling pin, or pulse them in a food processor until finely crushed. In a medium bowl, melt the remaining ¼ cup unsalted butter and combine it with the crushed Cheez-It crackers and the reserved ¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
- Sprinkle the Cheez-It and cheese crumb mixture evenly over the macaroni and cheese in the baking dish.
- Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. For an extra crispy top, switch the oven to broil on high during the last 2 minutes of baking.
Notes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
Keywords: Baked Mac and Cheese, Cheez-It Crust, Comfort Food