Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Pasta Potluck

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (534)

Cook Time:
25 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
6 servings

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: 10 min
Cook: 25 min
Total:: 45 min

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Ingredients

Butter, for greasing dish
12 ounces wide egg noodles
2 cups heavy cream
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (packed) grated Fontina
3/4 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan
3/4 cup (packed) grated mozzarella
4 ounces cooked ham, diced, optional
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Butter a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Drain well, but do not rinse.

Whisk the cream, milk, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl to blend. Stir in 1 cup Fontina, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, ham, if using, and parsley. Add the noodles and toss to coat. Transfer the noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish. Toss the remaining 1 cup Fontina, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1/4 cup mozzarella in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the noodle mixture. Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts and begins to brown on top, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Macaroni and Cheese
Jodi Cape Coral, FL 11-27-2009
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Creamiest Macaroni !!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Made this recipe exactly as instructed. Took it to work for a carry in...everyone loved it! And it was so creamy! After... making this as instructed, I realized there are so many possibilities! Add broccoli - use shrimp or lobster instead of ham - or whatever your favorites are. I may cut back the milk by about a cup if serving immediatly - mine was a little runny at first - but sitting on a hotplate for three hours...it was just perfect instead of dry!Read more
recipe Macaroni and Cheese
MICHELLE acworth, GA 11-25-2009
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Wonderful
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Its amazing how people change the recipe and then complain that it wasnt up to par. Strange. Everyone Loved this, and its... so simple. Read more
recipe Macaroni and Cheese
vicki sugar land, TX 11-23-2009
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No more blue box!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I've tried tons of recipes for Mac & Cheese, and although my kids are great eaters, they love The Blue Box. However, now it... is gone forever! I've tried different ways to lighten this up, always comes out great!Read more
recipe Macaroni and Cheese
Ashley Conway, AR 11-23-2009
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OMG!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

So dang good...I used elbow macaroni and it was amazing! The sauce thickened up after a few minutes of coming out of the... oven. OMG, just talking about it is making me hungry for this mac and cheese. MY FAMILY ALL LOVED IT TOO. My sister took half of it home with her, which I wasn't happy about.Read more
recipe Macaroni and Cheese
Kathy Tampa, FL 11-18-2009
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Awesome alternative to classic Mac-n-cheese!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I was looking for something a little different and I was blown away at how easy and good this recipe is! My household... gobbled it up and asked for more. I made it as a side for our office Thanksgiving Feast Luncheon. Everyone begged for "my" recipe. I had to admit it was not mine, but Giada's!!! This will be a keeper for future get-togethers! Read more
recipe Macaroni and Cheese
Joshua Atlanta, GA 11-18-2009
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Best mac and cheese ever
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

So easy to make and is always good!