Baking Sheet Macaroni & Cheese

Last month, Amanda Hesser posted a recipe for Baking Sheet Mac & Cheese on her blog food52. In an "effort to realign" the creamy to crunchy ration of casserole-dish mac & cheese, Hesser bakes the cheesy pasta in a shallow, rimmed baking sheet; we're talking about the kind you'd bake cookies or roast veggies on, a 12 x 17-inch rectangle with 1-inch sides. The result is a lot more surface crunch than you'd typically get.

She actually posted two recipes: one mixing the cooked pasta with fontina, asiago, & heavy cream; the other mixing the pasta with two cheddar cheeses & topping with whole milk once it's in the pan.

I essentially combined her recipes, using ingredients & techniques from both to create a very tasty macaroni & cheese dish with A LOT of crunch on top...without using breadcrumbs!

Before I give you my modified recipe, let me remind you that (1) mac & cheese is my all-time favorite thing to eat, and (2) I've been on a never-ending search for the perfect mac & cheese recipe. The closest I've gotten so far has been Tyler Florence's Ultimate Macaroni & Cheese. This super-crunchy yet still cheesy version is giving Tyler a run for his money, that's for sure.

Baking Sheet Macaroni & Cheese
adapted from food52

1 pound macaroni elbow pasta
10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
10 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt, to taste

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  
• Boil the pasta in salted water for 6-7 minutes, until al dente. Drain.
• Add the pasta back to the pot & stir in the cheeses, cream, milk, pepper & salt. Taste & adjust seasonings as needed.
• Spread the cheesy pasta in a buttered, rimmed baking sheet (half-sheet size, about 11 x 17). Top evenly with the Parmesan cheese. Yes, use the entire 2 cups worth. TRUST ME.
• Bake the macaroni for 20-25 minutes, until bubbly & melted. Then, turn on the broiler & toast the top until golden brown all over. (Hesser bakes hers at 500 degrees for 15 minutes.)