This Deluxe Mac and Cheese for Two is quick and easy to throw together and makes the perfect vegetarian meal for two or side for three or four.
Hey, happy Monday! How was your weekend?
I have something warm and cozy for you today. As I saying in my Bacon and Butternut Squash Side Dish post last week, this time of year, as it starts to get colder, I always start craving comfort food. So I figured it was about time to share one of my favorite comfort foods in the world, Macaroni and Cheese!
I have a couple Mac and Cheese recipes on the site already. There is my classic Quick Mac and Cheese for One, which has been super popular, and Bacon Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, but today’s mac and cheese is the deluxe version. It’s made with cheddar cheese and Parmesan (or Pecorino Romano if you have it–my favorite) and topped with buttery, toasted bread cubes.
It’s my FAVORITE way to eat mac and cheese and soooooooo good. The macaroni is super cheesy and creamy, and the toasted bread topping is crisp and crunchy and makes for a perfect combo.
This is a fabulous vegetarian meal for two or an easy side for three to four people. It’s also very simple to make since all you have to do is boil pasta, whisk together butter, flour, milk, and cheese for the cheese sauce, and toss some bread with butter to go on top. It comes together in less than 15 minutes and then gets popped into the oven until the bread is toasted and it’s ready to go.
More Cheesy Recipes
Deluxe Mac and Cheese for Two
Ingredients
Special Equipment
Pasta
- 1 cup (5oz) elbow macaroni or small shells
Cheese Sauce
- 2 tablespoons (1oz) salted butter
- 2 tablespoons (15g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk any percentage
- 1 cup (4oz) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese divided
- 1/2 cup (2oz) shredded Parmesan or Pecorino Romano divided
- Pinch of cayenne optional
- Pinch of nutmeg optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Topping
- 2 slices white bread cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon (1/2oz) butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 7x5-inch baking dish (or any oven-safe dish of a similar size).
- In a medium pot of salted water, cook macaroni according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- While your pasta is cooking, in a medium pot, over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and whisk together until golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in milk and continue whisking constantly until mixture thickens and becomes bubbly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add 2/3 of the Cheddar and 2/3 of the Parmesan and stir until smooth. Add a generous pinch of cayenne and nutmeg (if desired) and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add drained pasta to your cheese sauce and stir. Pour mac and cheese into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining Cheddar and Parmesan over the top.
- Place your bread cubes into a medium bowl and pour melted butter over the top. Stir to coat all the cubes. Pile bread over your mac and cheese. (If your baking dish looks precariously full, place on a cookie sheet before putting it into the oven to avoid overflow.) Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until bread is toasted.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
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Angela Brady says
Made this using @BetterBatter Gluten Free All Purpose flour and @Jovial Gluten Free Pasta Shells. Delicious! My Celiac husband loved it.
Amy V says
This is an amazing recipe for two, I have used white cheddar and sharp yellow cheddar, my mom uses mild cheddar cheese and I’m sure it would be fantastic with xtra sharp cheddar. I recommend this recipe all the time, I love it, my parents and aunt are crazy about it. My bread cubes didn’t work out so well so I use bread crumbs instead. I’m actually having this tonight with ham steaks. Thank you so much for your recipes for two as we are now empty nesters.
Amy says
My first ever attempt at making a cheese sauce, hubby picked white sharp cheddar and it turned out fantastic. Perfect size for 2 and even leftovers. We are not small eaters by any means and the amount was perfect. I’m very excited to try your other recipes.
Hannah says
Made this when I was on a mother-daughter trip in Wakefield. I forgot the extra cheese on top, but didn’t mind not having it. I’ve never had prmesan in mac and cheese before, but it was dreamy. Made even more dreamy by the fact that we were sitting at a long wooden table, in a cabin with fairy lights wound around the ceiling beams. Eaating our creamy mac and cheese as we gazed out the window, and into the cold wintry night…
Tracy says
Sounds totally magical, Hannah! Kind of tempted to escape the city and do the same! 😉
Fauzia Iqbal says
Could you add some mustard if you want to make it extra savory? And possibly some other cheese instead of the romano? Just curious for tweaks … but you have great recipes!! Thanks!
Tracy says
You could definitely use mustard. I’ve never done it, but I hear it’s quite tasty. And for alternative cheeses, I feel like gruyere is always a yummy, classy addition to mac and cheese!
Sanita Riker says
Great pic. I could eat this for breakfast! I love your web sight. It inspires me!
I am 63 yrs old, and have been cooking along time! Still love to cook most of
the time. We all have our moments. Enjoy your up coming week-end.
Tracy says
Thank you so much!
Karly says
I mean, swoon. This looks INCREDIBLE. And I know when you say “for two” you mean, “for one, if you try hard enough”… right? Riiiiight. 🙂
Tracy says
Exactly. 😉 Thanks, Karly!