Old Fashioned Mac and Cheese

Recipe by: Melissa d’Arabian

Print Recipe

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp. unsalted butter or margarine

1 large shallot, finely minced

1/4 teaspoon sweet or smoky paprika

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups LACTAID® Whole Milk, warmed

1 ½ cups Swiss cheese, coarsely grated

2 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese**, shredded – Reserve ½ cup for later **Sharp cheddar cheese is naturally low in lactose

2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp dry mustard

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

16 oz. elbow macaroni

For the panko topping:

1 tbsp. unsalted butter or margarine

¼ cup panko breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon chopped parsley leaves

¼ tsp salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350º and spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and paprika and sauté for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add flour and stir constantly for one minute. Gradually whisk in the LACTAID® milk until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the salt, mustard, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Continue to whisk until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. Gradually stir in the swiss cheese and the cheddar cheese, and removed from heat. Continue stirring until all cheese has melted and incorporated smoothly into the sauce.
For the panko topping: melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add panko and stir frequently for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the heat, and then stir in chopped parsley and salt.
Meanwhile, cook the macaroni according to package instructions, drain. Stir macaroni into the warm cheese sauce, and then pour the macaroni and cheese into greased baking dish.
Top with reserved ½ cup of sharp cheddar cheese and parsley breadcrumbs, then bake for 15 minutes, or until topping is lightly brown and macaroni is heated through. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

*used in the nutrition analysis. **1 1/2 cups of grated swiss cheese contains only 0.1 grams of lactose. 2½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese contains only 0.5 grams of lactose. Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 27.