No ratings yet

Baking Sheet Macaroni and Cheese

I've always thought macaroni and cheese's 20% crunch to 80% soft ratio was all wrong. The ratio should be more like 50:50. The soft part, delicious though it may be, wears you out. You need lots of crisp bits to stay interested in the dish. The result was total success -- the muffin top of mac 'n cheese!

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Amanda Hesser

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
12 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese coarsely grated
12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese coarsely grated
1 pound pasta spirals or other small shape
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
salt
2/3 cup whole milk

Instructions

Heat oven to 475 degrees. Use the butter to thickly grease a 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Combine the grated cheeses and set aside 2 heaping cups for topping.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 6 minutes. Drain.
In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, cheeses, cayenne and salt to taste. Spread the mixture in the baking sheet and evenly pour the milk over the surface. Sprinkle the reserved cheese on top, sprinkle on a little extra cayenne, and bake, uncovered, until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes.