Baked Macaroni and Cheese

My kids could eat macaroni and cheese just about every day.  Most of the time I use store bought Kraft macaroni and cheese because it is quick.  On special occasions I enjoy making homemade mac and cheese.  This isn’t the healthiest version I have made, but it is a little healthier than many recipes out there.

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

½ pound whole wheat elbow macaroni

2 ½ cups half and half

1 pound reduced fat cream cheese at room temperature

1 ½ bags 8 ounce bag shredded cheese macaroni and cheese blend

½ cup panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Coat a 8×8 baking sheet with olive oil spray.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the macaroni and cook until it is al dente according to package directions. Strain.  Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
3. Heat the half and half in a large saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.  Continue simmering until the mixture is reduced by about half.  Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Whisk in the cheese mixture until the sauce is smooth.
4. Add the macaroni and reserved water to the pan.  It will look loose, but the pasta will suck up the water as it cooks.
5. Transfer to the 8×8 dish.  Sprinkle with some extra cheese on the top.
6. Mix the bread crumbs with olive oil and sprinkle over the top if you want a crispy topping. 
7. Bake 10-15 minutes if cooking immediately.  If prepping ahead of time and refrigerating bake 30-40 minutes until heated through.