The Ultimate Comfort Meal

Issue

It’s time for dinner, and not just any dinner. The ultimate comfort food, mac and cheese. Mac and cheese holds so many deep connections for people. Memories from childhood or family get togethers. A side at the holidays or just a plain old blue box of mac and cheese can do the trick some days. There is just something about a warm bowl of creamy, cheesy noodles that makes for a perfect moment.

Most people think the star of the show in mac and cheese is the cheese…but where would the cheese be without the milk? Adding milk or heavy cream brings up the creaminess factor that makes it such a comfort food. Milk doesn’t just enhance a classic mac and cheese, it can turn any kind of pasta dish into a rich and creamy masterpiece. A lot of creamy sauces start with a basic roux which is simply butter, flour, and milk (or heavy cream). From there, you can add all kinds of ingredients and flavors to make it an over-the-top creamy sauce. Or simply add Hiland Heavy Whipping Cream to an existing sauce to give it a rich and creamy flavor. I love adding a bit of heavy cream to a spaghetti sauce to add some depth.

My grandma made an incredible mac and cheese with butter, heavy cream, and good old Velveeta. The recipe has major memories for me, and I still make it all the time. For this week’s spotlight recipe, I took my grandma’s mac and cheese recipe but enhanced it with a couple different cheeses and, of course, heavy cream.

Check out the recipe below for the Ultimate Mac and Cheese.

Featured Indulgent Recipe

Ultimate Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Hiland Dairy Butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 cups Hiland Dairy Whole Milk
12 ounces large elbow noodles
2 1/2 cups Hiland Dairy Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Hiland Dairy Butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot with salted water, boil the elbow noodles until al dente (about 6 minutes). Drain pasta and set aside.
In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot over medium heat, add the butter. Once melted, add the flour and whisk together. Whisk consistently for about 2 minutes then add the milk (1 cup at a time), whisking constantly after each addition. Continue to whisk for another 3 minutes.
Add the cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese and stir into the mixture until all is melted and combined.
Add the elbow noodles into the creamy cheesy sauce and gently stir together until the noodles are covered.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the melted butter with the panko breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the mac and cheese, then place the pot into the oven and cook for 5-10 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Remove from the oven and serve!

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