Creamy Baked Mac n Cheese with Pretzel Breadcrumbs
Say hello to your new favorite baked mac n cheese. My Baked Mac n Cheese is the ultimate cheesy comfort food with a fun twist!
If you like soft pretzels dipped in cheese sauce, you will love my Baked Mac n Cheese. The macaroni pasta is tossed in a creamy triple cheddar and Colby Jack cheese sauce and baked to golden brown perfection with a buttery pretzel breadcrumb topping.
My Baked Mac n Cheese with Pretzel Breadcrumbs will be a table favorite at your next Thanksgiving, Christmas, or family meal. It’s also the perfect Sunday gameday meal paired with cold beer.
Savoring the Cheesiest Mac n Cheese on the Oregon Coast
Calling all cheeseheads, and no, I am not talking about Green Bay fans. You must make your way to the Oregon Coast and visit Tillamook Creamery.
There are so many fun things to do at Tillamook Creamery. It is the perfect pit stop along the Oregon Coast. Our day trip from Portland to Cannon Beach and Tillamook Creamery remains one of my favorite days of our 7-day Oregon trip.
Our children enjoyed “milking the cow” at the farm exhibit, watching the cheese-making process and production line for packaging large cheese blocks and receiving free samples. We also enjoyed a cheesy dinner at the dining hall and finished our meal with hazelnut salted caramel ice cream.
The menu celebrates cheese through classic American comfort foods, including double cheddar grilled cheese, fried cheddar cheese curds, juicy cheeseburgers, and triple mac n cheese. We ordered the fried cheddar cheese curds and triple mac n cheese, and everything tasted amazing!
The mac n cheese was for the kids, but I don’t think they got too many bites because I inhaled it. Oops, but it’s okay because I recreated it, and now we eat it at home all the time—and every time we have it, we remember this memorable day trip.
Nacho Average Baked Mac n Cheese
Baked mac n cheese is among the most beloved cheesy comfort foods in the United States. Everyone has their favorite go-to recipe, but if you are here, that means you are still looking for yours or want something a little different in your cheesy mac. You have come to the right place!
Inspired by our trip to Tillamook, my creamy Baked Mac n Cheese is slightly unique from the rest. The cheese sauce is layered with three types of cheddar cheese, Colby Jack cheese, and topped with a sourdough pretzel breadcrumb crust.
The crunchy topping of sourdough pretzel cuts through the creamy and sharp mac n cheese for a perfect bite.
List of Ingredients for Baked Mac n Cheese with Pretzel Breadcrumbs
Of course, cheese is the star of mac’ n cheese. To make it really shine, I recommend using the best-quality block cheese available.
Choosing your cheese is like choosing your wine. Always cook with what you like. I choose Tillamook for the obvious reasons above, but I also love everything they make.
You want block cheese because store-bought shredded cheese can have added preservatives such as potato starch and natamycin. These preservatives keep the cheese from clumping together, which means it will not melt well when cooking and will create a grainy texture. Freshly shredded cheese will have a better taste and creamier texture.
The best pasta shapes for baked mac n cheese are cavatappi, elbow, and lumache. If you want the classic shape, use elbow pasta, but try to find one with ridges, such as Barilla. The ridges help capture the sauce, and brands that make the pasta with ridges also tend to be a better product.
Cavatappi is one of my favorite types of pasta for baked mac n cheese because it usually has ridges and it’s a fun shape.
This is a brief overview. Please refer to the full recipe description at the end of this post.
- Ridged macaroni pasta (elbow, cavatappi, or lumache)
- Whole milk
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Medium cheddar cheese
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
- Colby Jack cheese
- Ground dry mustard
- Ground nutmeg
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sourdough hard pretzels
- Italian-style panko breadcrumbs
How to Make Baked Mac n Cheese with Pretzel Breadcrumbs
My Baked Mac n Cheese with Pretzel Breadcrumbs is easy to make. It starts by making a light roux, adding freshly shredded cheese to create a cheese sauce, and tossing it with the pasta. Then, you top the mac n cheese with a pretzel breadcrumb mixture and bake it to golden brown.
The best way to shred this much block cheese is with a rotary cheese grater or a food processor. Most food processors come with a cheese grater attachment, but you can purchase an attachment online if you still need one.
This is a brief overview. Please refer to the full recipe description at the end of this post.
Cook pasta – Bring a large pot of water with salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain the pasta well and set aside.
Make a roux – Heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don’t boil it. Melt the butter in a large pot. Then, add the flour and cook on low heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for one to two minutes until the mixture is smooth and thickened.
Make cheese sauce – Turn off the heat and add all the freshly shredded cheddar cheese. Mix in the seasonings. Then, add the cooked pasta and stir well. Pour half of the mac n cheese into a 3-quart baking dish. Spread shredded Colby Jack cheese, then pour the remaining mac n cheese.
Pretzel breadcrumb topping – Mix the melted butter, crushed pretzels, Italian-style panko breadcrumbs, and shredded Colby Jack cheese. Sprinkle evenly on top of the mac n cheese.
Bake – Place the dish in the middle rack of the oven and bake uncovered at 375° F for 30 – 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Tips and Tidbits
Here are a few tips and tidbits, such as reheating the baked mac n cheese and making it gluten-free.
Reheating Baked Mac n Cheese
The Baked Mac n Cheese is creamy and cheesy fresh from the oven, but the fats will solidify when cold. So when you remove it from the refrigerator, I recommend adding one tablespoon of milk per cup of mac n cheese. Then, place a damp paper towel on top and reheat in the microwave.
The milk and the damp towel will help create steam, keeping the pasta from drying out and bringing the sauce back to life!
Can I Make the Baked Mac n Cheese Gluten-Free?
Yes! It is very simple to make the baked mac n cheese gluten-free. Of course, you want to use a gluten-free elbow or cavatappi pasta. To make the light roux, substitute all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour or sweet rice flour and follow the directions as written.
For the pretzel breadcrumb topping, use gluten-free pretzels and read the ingredients on the Italian-style panko breadcrumbs because not all brands are gluten-free.
More Pasta Recipes
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- 1 pound macaroni pasta with ridges, (elbow or cavatappi)
- 4 cups whole milk
- 10 tbsp tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups medium cheddar cheese, freshly shredded (*see notes)
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
- 2 cups extra sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
- 2 cups Colby jack cheese, freshly shredded and divided
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground dry mustard
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup sourdough hard pretzels, crushed
- 1/2 cup Italian-style panko breadcrumbs
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Bring a large pot of water with a pinch of salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to the package directions. Rinse the pasta with cold water, drain well, and set aside.
Meanwhile, if you haven’t already, start shredding the cheeses. The three cheddar cheeses can go together, but keep the colby jack cheese separate. Set aside.
Heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don’t boil it. Keep it warm.
Make a light roux by melting 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Then, add the flour and cook on low heat while stirring with a whisk constantly for 3 minutes—it should be a cream color and puff slightly.
While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for 2-5 minutes until thickened to a smooth, creamy consistency. Tip: Coat a spoon in the sauce, then draw a line across the back of the spoon with your fingertip. If the line remains clear, the sauce is ready.
Turn off the heat and add the freshly shredded medium, sharp, and extra-sharp white cheddar cheese. Mix in the seasonings. Then, add the cooked pasta and stir well until the pasta is thoroughly coated with the cheese sauce. Taste the mac’ n cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste if needed. Pour half of the mac’ n cheese into a 9×13 baking dish. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the shredded Colby Jack cheese evenly, then pour the remaining mac’ n cheese on top.
In a small bowl, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Mix in the crushed pretzels, Italian-style panko breadcrumbs, and remaining 1/2 cup shredded Colby jack cheese. Sprinkle the pretzel mixture evenly on top of the mac n cheese.
Place the dish in the middle rack of the oven and bake uncovered for 30 – 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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