5-Cheese Baked Mac & Cheese

PREP TIME 15 minutes mins COOK TIME 30 minutes mins TOTAL TIME 45 minutes mins 4 (Makes 8x8 baking dish INGREDIENTS 1/2 lb short cut pasta such as cellentani, macaroni, or rotini 3 tbsp butter 2-3 cloves garlic minced 1/4 tsp fresh thyme leaves 3 tbsp all-purpose flour 1.5 cups cream whole milk or half & half 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg Fresh cracked pepper 3 cups shredded cheese see notes below INSTRUCTIONS Prepare Noodles- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add short-cut pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Drain pasta and set aside. Make Cheese Sauce- Grate all cheeses and mix together in a medium bowl, set aside. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and fresh thyme leaves-cook 1-2 minutes stirring often. Sprinkle flour over garlic butter mixture and stir until well incorporated and a light paste forms. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of cream until smooth. Whisk in remaining cream, ground nutmeg, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Continue whisking for a few minutes until the mixture has thickened slightly to the consistency of a thin-medium gravy. Mixture should be smooth and light in color. Remove pot from heat and fold in 2 cups of grated cheese. Mix & Bake- Preheat oven to 375F. Fold cooked pasta into cheese sauce. Pour half of pasta into a buttered 8x8 baking dish, and top with 1/2 cup remaining shredded cheese. Repeat with the remaing pasta and shredded cheese. Bake mac and cheese uncovered for 25-30 minutes until melted and bubbly. NOTES Shredded Cheese Blend: 1 cup sharp cheddar 1/2 cup white cheddar 1/2 cup mozzarella 1/2 cup Asiago 1/2 cup Parmesan For a pre-shredded mix, 1.5 cups of Triple Cheddar Blend and 1.5 cups of Italian Blend can be used.