Where Can I Buy Kraft Grated American Cheese

I've always loved macaroni and cheese (which is obvious, considering this is the third mac and cheese recipe on this blog), but this one has to be my favorite. Our Copycat Kraft Mac and Cheese is perfect for lazy evenings when you just want a quick carb-loaded meal, but this baked macaroni and cheese is the kind of recipe you pull out for a special occasion–Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving, Christmas, parties, and super crappy days when you need the most comforting of comfort foods.

I loaded this baked mac and cheese with bacon, gruyere cheese, parmesan, buttery breadcrumbs, and fresh herbs. It's the grown-up version of the macaroni and cheese that you've always loved and it's so so good. It's easy to make, comes together quickly, and fills an entire 9×13 pan, so it'll feed a crowd.

Here's what you need.

• Macaroni. I used regular macaroni, but any small pasta will work–campanelle or shells would be delicious too.
• Fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage. My local grocery store sells these three herbs in a packet together, usually called a "Poultry blend" or "Roasting blend." If yours doesn't, you can buy them separately.
• Fresh parmesan. It's really important that you grate it yourself rather than buying pre-shredded. Fresh cheese melts so much better than the pre-grated stuff and makes a really creamy sauce.
• Gruyere. Gruyere tends to be a little expensive, but you can find good deals if you know where to look. Trader Joe's has a great American gruyere that's a little cheaper than the Swiss stuff, and Costco sells a big block of gruyere for a pretty good price.
• Fresh garlic
• Bacon
• Heavy cream
• Panko breadcrumbs
• Typical fridge and pantry ingredients: butter, crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper

Here's how to make this grown-up baked macaroni and cheese.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Cook your pasta according to package directions. When it has finished cooking, save a cup of pasta water for later.

While the pasta is cooking, add bacon to a large pan and cook over medium-high heat until it's crispy. When it's done, remove it from the pan and drain the grease or sop it up with a paper towel.

Turn the heat down to low or medium-low and add 4 tablespoons of the butter to the pan. Let it melt, then add 1 tablespoon of thyme, 1 tablespoon of rosemary, 1 tablespoon of sage, and all of the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook the herb and garlic mixture for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly so nothing burns.

Next, add cream, salt, and black pepper to the pan and let it simmer and thicken for 2-3 minutes. Then add three quarters of the shredded gruyere and parmesan. Cook until the cheese is melted. If the sauce is too thick, then gradually add some of the reserved pasta water and stir to combine. It should be the same consistency as other cream-based pasta sauces (like alfredo sauce).

Once the sauce has reached your desired consistency, add the cooked pasta and bacon to the pan and stir to combine. Then add the pasta/sauce mixture to a 9×13 casserole dish.

In a clean pan, add the panko and the remaining butter, thyme, rosemary, and sage. Cook it until the butter is melted and everything is combined, a couple of minutes.

Add the breadcrumb mixture and the rest of the gruyere and parmesan to the top of the casserole dish. Then place it into the oven, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the top is toasted and golden-brown.

Enjoy!

If you like this, you should also try…

• One-Pan Spinach and Artichoke Salmon with Tomatoes
• Candied Pecan Green Beans
• One-Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta
• One-Pot Healthier Copycat Kraft Mac and Cheese

• 

  Spinach and Artichoke Salmon

• 

  Candied Pecan Green Beans

• 

  Chicken Cajun Pasta

• 

  Copycat Kraft Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 pound small pasta, such as macaroni, campanelle, or shells

• 6 slices uncooked bacon, chopped into small squares

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

• 2 tablespoons chopped thyme, divided

• 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary, divided

• 2 tablespoons chopped sage, divided

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 cups shredded parmesan cheese, divided

• 2 cups shredded gruyere cheese, divided

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Cook pasta according to package directions. When it has finished cooking, save a cup of pasta water for later.
• While the pasta is cooking, add bacon to a large pan and cook over medium-high heat until it's crispy. When it's done, remove it from the pan and drain the grease or sop it up with a paper towel.
• Turn the heat down to low or medium-low and add 4 tablespoons of the butter to the pan. Let it melt, then add 1 tablespoon of thyme, 1 tablespoon of rosemary, 1 tablespoon of sage, and all of the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook the herb and garlic mixture for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly so nothing burns.
• Add cream, salt, and black pepper to the pan and let it simmer and thicken for 2-3 minutes. Then add 1.5 cups of gruyere and 1.5 cups of parmesan (reserving half a cup of each for later). Cook until the cheese has melted. If the sauce is too thick, then gradually add some of the reserved pasta water and stir to combine. It should be the same consistency as other cream-based pasta sauces (like alfredo sauce).
• Once the sauce has reached your desired consistency, add the cooked pasta and bacon to the pan and stir to combine. Then add the pasta/sauce mixture to a 9×13 casserole dish.
• In a clean pan, combine the panko and the remaining butter, thyme, rosemary, and sage. Cook it until the butter is melted and everything is combined, a couple of minutes.
• Add the breadcrumb mixture and the rest of the gruyere and parmesan to the top of the casserole dish. Then place the casserole dish into the oven, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the top is toasted and golden-brown.

Notes

• It's really important that you grate the parmesan yourself. Fresh cheese melts so much better than the pre-grated stuff and makes a really creamy sauce.

Where Can I Buy Kraft Grated American Cheese

Source: https://hangryeconomist.com/grown-up-baked-macaroni-and-cheese/

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