3-cheese alfredo mac & cheese
with a garlic bread panko crust
a new contender for the best holiday mac & cheese (without the mac)
imagine a plate of classic fettuccine alfredo paired with the quintessential American side for pasta. IYKYK, if you don’t… it’s garlic bread. Now imagine that in mac & cheese form.
That’s exactly what this recipe is but taken up a notch. If you’re looking to switch things up this holiday season – make thanksgiving a lil less vanilla or impress your guests with something unique, look no further.
OK, let’s get into the recipe!
Fettuccine noodles are substituted with conchiglioni aka jumbo shells. They aren’t the easiest pasta to find where I’m based & I usually order them online. Here’s a link to my go-to: De Cecco’s Conchiglioni Rigati. However, this recipe could be made with any pasta including macaroni noodles.
Side note: yes I’m still referring to it as mac & cheese even though I’m not using macaroni noodles. Sue me :)
The shells are enveloped by a 3-cheese sauce of mozzarella, parmesan & gruyere that acts as the base of the recipe.
The best part of the dish is the combination of the alfredo goodness with a garlic bread-inspired crust. Panko breadcrumbs are toasted in a garlic-infused oil, mixed with fried garlic then sprinkled atop the mac & cheese.
And of course, it’s not complete until it’s baked until bubbly & slightly crisped.
recipe!
alfredo mac & cheese with a garlic bread crust
8 servings (side) 5 mins prep + 40 mins cook | 45 mins total time
ingredients
1 pound pasta of choice
6 ½ tablespoons high quality butter, unsalted, divided
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 ¼ cups heavy cream
2 cups sour cream
2 cups mozzarella, shredded
2 cups parmesan, shredded
1 ½ cups gruyere, shredded
1 ½ tablespoons garlic powder
4 garlic cloves, smashed
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup fried garlic
pepper
salt
parsley, for garnish
instructions
to prepare mac & cheese, preheat the oven to 400°F. Cook pasta according to package instructions minus one minute. Drain & set aside.
In a pot, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Once melted, slightly increase heat & sprinkle in flour, whisking continuously until you have a paste, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook the paste until it darkens in color. The roux should be light brown before adding the heavy cream & sour cream to the pot. Whisk until smooth. Add salt & pepper, to taste, as well as garlic powder. Whisk. Slowly add in mozzarella & parmesan, stirring well. Add pasta to pot & gently toss & fold with cheese sauce. Pour into a greased cast iron skillet. Top with gruyere & bake for 18-20 minutes or until browned to your preference. While it bakes, prepare the garlic bread panko topping.
to prepare garlic bread panko topping, in a skillet over low heat, sauté smashed garlic cloves in 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter fo 5-6 minutes or until fragrant. Remove garlic cloves. Add breadcrumbs to skillet & stir to coat. Cook for 4 minutes or until golden & well toasted. Remove skillet from heat & add fried garlic. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. Mix again & set aside.