https://guylyons.dev/tags/comfort-food/Recent content in Comfort Food on Guy LyonsHugoen-usFri, 20 Feb 2026 11:33:23 -0500https://guylyons.dev/recipes/creamy-baked-mac-and-cheese/Thu, 19 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://guylyons.dev/recipes/creamy-baked-mac-and-cheese/<h2 id="ingredients">Ingredients</h2> <ul> <li>16 oz elbow macaroni</li> <li>1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter</li> <li>1/2 cup all-purpose flour</li> <li>2 cups half and half</li> <li>2 cups whole milk</li> <li>1 tsp salt</li> <li>1/2 tsp black pepper</li> <li>1/2 tsp paprika</li> <li>1/2 tsp ground mustard</li> <li>4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded</li> <li>2 cups gruyere cheese, shredded</li> </ul> <h2 id="instructions">Instructions</h2> <ol> <li>Preheat oven to 325°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.</li> <li>Cook pasta: boil macaroni 1 minute less than al dente. Drain and toss with a little olive oil.</li> <li>Make cheese sauce: <ul> <li>Melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute.</li> <li>Slowly whisk in half and half and milk, stirring constantly until thickened.</li> <li>Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, paprika, and mustard.</li> <li>Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1 1/2 cups gruyere until melted.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Assemble and bake: <ul> <li>Mix pasta with cheese sauce.</li> <li>Layer half in the dish and top with 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese.</li> <li>Add the rest of the pasta, then top with remaining cheese.</li> <li>Bake for 15 minutes until bubbly and lightly golden.</li> </ul> </li> </ol> <h2 id="optional-toppings">Optional Toppings</h2> <ul> <li>Crunchy topping: mix 1 cup panko or crushed Ritz crackers with 2 tbsp melted butter and sprinkle on top before baking.</li> <li>Bacon: add crumbled bacon for extra flavor.</li> </ul>