Best Ever Baked Mac & Cheese
This is dish is one of the most versatile, incredible recipes I’ve ever come across. It’s an amalgamation of many different recipes I’ve tried over the years – from baked zitis to mac & cheese to pizza dishes, this was inspired by some of my favorite meals. It works as dinner or lunch, and is a great go-to for a potluck. I hope you love it as much as me!
Mac + Cheese has always been one of my favorite comfort meals – nothing beats a gooey, cheesy macaroni dish! In an effort to eat more protein, I decided to try this recipe with Banza protein pasta (amazing recommendation from this blog post).
I also added some sausage + cheese to up the protein content and add some healthy fats. The coconut oil and breadcrumbs, combined with the cheese, create a creamy and smooth texture that you WILL BE DREAMING ABOUT.
I used Panko gluten free breadcrumbs, and I was very impressed with how well they worked. So, don’t fear about experimenting with gluten-free products in this recipe!
Add in your favorite vegetables – I’ve tried broccoli and carrots with this dish, and they complement the other ingredients SO well. Also, experiment with the kind of sausage you add – chicken + turkey work so well too!
In my opinion, this is best served immediately. However, I have had friends tell me they prefer it cold! Either works, which is great for when you need to take leftovers for lunch!
Tag us on socials and let us know how you made it!!
Baked Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups Banza pasta cooked
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 10 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/3 cup flour of choice gluten-free if desired
- 3 cups milk of choice
- 1 cup coconut milk
- Dash of salt + pepper
- 3 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cups swiss cheese shredded
- 1 cup colby cheese shredded
- 3 links sausage chopped
- 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs gluten-free if desired
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a large bowl, cover pasta with olive oil.
- In a saucepan, melt 6 tbsp coconut oil, mix in flour.
- Slowly add choice of milk and coconut milk. Whisk until bubbles begin to appear, add salt and pepper, whisk for 3 more minutes.
- Slowly add 1 cup of each cheese. Whisk until sauce is thick, creamy, and smooth.
- Slowly add pasta and sausage, stir until covered in sauce.
- Pour half of pasta into greased baking dish. Add the rest of the shredded cheese, top with the rest of the pasta.
- In a small bowl, add breadcrumbs, 4 tbsp coconut oil, paprika, and nutritional yeast. Mix well and sprinkle over mac and cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes + enjoy!