Description
Enjoy a bowl of White Mac and Cheese, featuring cavatappi pasta in a rich white cheddar sauce with a crunchy Ritz cracker topping. Easy to make and sure to impress!
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 ounces cavatappi pasta
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 3 cups white cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup Ritz crackers (crushed, about 20 crackers)
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a 9×13 baking dish.
- Cook the cavatappi pasta according to package directions until al dente; drain and set aside.
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth.
- Gradually add half and half and evaporated milk, whisking until the mixture thickens (about 5-7 minutes).
- Stir in the shredded white cheddar, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until melted and smooth.
- Mix the cheese sauce with the cooked pasta in a large bowl until well combined.
- Pour into the greased baking dish and top with additional cheddar and the crushed Ritz crackers mixed with melted butter.
- Bake for 15 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.
Notes
For a gluten-free option, substitute gluten-free pasta and crackers.
Feel free to mix in additional ingredients like cooked bacon or steamed vegetables for extra flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 60mg