Cavatappi Mac and Cheese

Total Time Prep: 30 min. Bake: 20 min.
Yield 10 servings
Test Kitchen Approved
With a crunchy, buttery, bacon-spiked bread crumb topping, this corkscrew cavatappi mac and cheese is a grown-up version of the classic comfort food that kids will love too.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups uncooked cavatappi or spiral pasta
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
  • 4 cups 2% milk
  • 6 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup cubed Velveeta
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • TOPPINGS:
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 3 thick-sliced bacon strips, cooked and coarsely crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • Coarsely ground pepper, optional

Directions

  1. Cook cavatappi according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, saute garlic in butter in a Dutch oven. Stir in flour and pepper sauce until blended; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in cheeses until melted; add green onions. Drain cavatappi; stir into cheese mixture.
  4. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Combine the bread crumbs, bacon and melted butter; sprinkle over the top.
  5. Bake, uncovered, at 350° until bubbly, 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with green onion and, if desired, pepper.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 706 calories, 38g fat (21g saturated fat), 110mg cholesterol, 782mg sodium, 60g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 3g fiber), 32g protein.

Dive fork-first into oodles of noodles baked to bubbly perfection and coated with a to-die-for sharp cheddar cheese sauce in this cavatappi, a grown-up version of mac and cheese. Hot sauce lends mild heat that’s delectable with the smoky topping. —Barbara Colucci, Rockledge, Florida
Recipe Creator

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