Baked Mac and Cheese with Cheez-It Crust
Take comfort food to the next level with this easy Cheez-It Mac and Cheese! Creamy, cheesy, and topped with a crunchy Cheez-It crust, it’s the ultimate twist on a classic. It's perfect for weeknight dinners, potlucks, or holiday meals!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces uncooked macaroni noodles
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded into approximately 2 ¼ cups
- 8 ounces swiss cheese, shredded into approximately 2 ¼ cups
- ½ cup unsalted butter, divided
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, or 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 3-4 dashes hot sauce, or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cups half and half, or whole milk
- 2 cups Cheez-It crackers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil on the stove. Add the macaroni noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain the noodles and set aside.
- While the noodles are boiling, shred the cheddar and Swiss cheese, and set aside.
- Place a large saucepan, or dutch oven, on the stove over medium heat.
- Add ¼ cup unsalted butter, once melted, add ¼ cup flour and whisk into a roux. Season with 1 ½ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon mustard powder and 3-4 dashes of hot sauce. Whisk to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes to bring out the flavors of the spices.
- Reduce the heat on the stove to medium-low and slowly pour in the half and half. Whisk to combine it with the seasoned roux and bring it to a gentle boil.
- Stir in 2 cups shredded cheddar (reserving ¼ cup for the topping) and all of the Swiss cheese. Stir consistently until the cheese melts into a creamy sauce.
- Remove from the heat after the cheese is melted, stir in the cooked macaroni noodles, and transfer to a greased 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish.
- Crush the Cheez It's in a large zipper bag with a rolling pin, or by pulsing them in a food processor.
- In a medium bowl, melt ¼ cup unsalted butter. Combine it with the crushed Cheez-It's and the remaining ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the mac and cheese in the baking dish.
- Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Optional: if you want to crisp up the crust a little more at the end, switch the oven from bake to broil on high for the last 2 minutes of the cook time.
Notes
- To make this recipe gluten free, use Annie's gluten-free cheddar crackers instead of Cheez-It's. Use gluten-free macaroni noodles. Replace the flour with cornstarch, but only use half of the amount of cornstarch. Because cornstarch has more thickening power than flour, you’ll only need 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to replace the 1/4 cup flour.
- This recipe will serve 4-6 people as a meal, or 8-10 people as a side dish. If you’d like to double this recipe to serve 15-20 people at a holiday meal, simply click the 2X button in the recipe card below. The ingredient amounts will automatically update for the new serving size.
- Store leftover mac and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. To reheat it in the microwave, place one serving in a microwave-safe bowl and reheat for 2 minutes. To reheat it in the oven, place it in an oven-safe dish and cover with aluminum foil. Reheat at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 712kcal (36%)Carbohydrates 55g (18%)Protein 26g (52%)Fat 43g (66%)Saturated Fat 25g (125%)Polyunsaturated Fat 3gMonounsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 117mg (39%)Sodium 793mg (33%)Potassium 309mg (9%)Fiber 2g (8%)Sugar 5g (6%)Vitamin A 1197mg (24%)Vitamin C 1mg (1%)Calcium 575mg (58%)Iron 1mg (6%)
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