Name: Easy Baked Mac and Cheese
Ingredients: 2 cups of elbow pasta (uncooked); 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter; 1 1/2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese; 3/4 cup of shredded white cheddar; 2 cups of milk (divided); 2 cloves of grated garlic; 1 teaspoon of salt (adjust to taste); 1 teaspoon of pepper (adjust to taste); 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika (or sweet paprika); 2 teaspoons of oregano; 4 ounces of cream cheese (cubed)

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups of elbow pasta (uncooked)
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup of shredded white cheddar
2 cups of milk (divided)
2 cloves of grated garlic
1 teaspoon of salt (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon of pepper (adjust to taste)
2 teaspoons of smoked paprika (or sweet paprika)
2 teaspoons of oregano
4 ounces of cream cheese (cubed)

Instructions

Cook the elbow pasta until it’s a little under al-dente, about 4-5 minutes.
In a 12×8 baking dish, combine the cooked pasta, 1 1/2 cups of milk, grated garlic, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and oregano. Stir everything together until well mixed.
Top the mixture with the shredded sharp cheddar cheese, shredded white cheddar, butter, and cubed cream cheese.
Cover the baking dish and bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Once baked, stir the Mac and Cheese well. Heat the remaining milk and gradually stir it into the pasta until you reach your desired creamy consistency.