Description
This Baked Mac and Cheese with Cheez-It Crust recipe combines creamy, rich mac and cheese with a crunchy, cheesy crust made from crushed Cheez-It crackers. It’s a comforting, flavorful twist on the classic American macaroni and cheese, baked to golden perfection with a deliciously crispy topping.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 16 ounces uncooked macaroni noodles
Cheese Sauce
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (shredded, approx. 2 ¼ cups)
- 8 ounces Swiss cheese (shredded, approx. 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)
Crust
- 2 cups Cheez-It crackers
- ¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (reserved from above)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (melted)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F to prepare for baking the mac and cheese later.
- Cook Pasta: 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.
- Prepare Cheese: While the noodles are cooking, shred the sharp cheddar and Swiss cheese, and set aside.
- Make Roux: Place a large saucepan or Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat. Add ¼ cup unsalted butter. Once melted, whisk in ¼ cup flour to form a roux. Season with 1 ½ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon mustard powder, and 3-4 dashes of hot sauce. Continue whisking and cook for 1-2 minutes to develop flavor.
- Form Cheese Sauce: Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly pour in the half and half while whisking continuously. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, stirring regularly.
- Add Cheese: Stir in 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (reserve ¼ cup for topping) and all of the Swiss cheese. Stir constantly until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Remove the cheese sauce from heat. Stir in the cooked macaroni noodles until evenly coated, then transfer the mixture to a greased 9 by 13-inch baking dish.
- Prepare Crust: Crush the Cheez-It crackers by placing them in a large zipper bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin or pulse in a food processor until fine crumbs form.
- Mix Crust Topping: In a medium bowl, melt the remaining ¼ cup unsalted butter. Combine the melted butter with the crushed Cheez-It crumbs and the reserved ¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Mix thoroughly.
- Top Mac and Cheese: Evenly sprinkle the Cheez-It crust mixture over the mac and cheese in the baking dish.
- Bake: Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the crust is golden and crisp.
- Optional Broil Crisp: For an extra crispy crust, switch the oven setting to broil on high for the last 2 minutes of baking time. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
Notes
- Use half and half for a richer sauce or whole milk for a lighter version.
- Mustard powder and hot sauce add a mild tang and depth to the cheese sauce but can be adjusted or omitted based on preference.
- Cheez-It crackers give a unique cheesy crunchy twist to the topping; substitute with breadcrumbs for a less intense flavor.
- Broiling at the end is optional but enhances the crispiness of the crust.
- Make sure to stir the cheese sauce constantly to prevent scorching and to achieve a smooth texture.
