A Sheet Pan Save You Dishes and Stirring in This 'Cook's Country' Mac 'n' Cheese Recipe

Get more recipes, food news, and stories at wttw.com/food or by signing up for our Deep Dish newsletter.

Not that boxed mac 'n' cheese isn't delicious, especially as an easy quick meal, but making your own cheese sauce brings this indulgent dish to another level – and it doesn't even have to be difficult, thanks to Cook's Country. Their baked sheet pan version of their recipe reduces stirring time and dishes while also lending a bit more textural variety than a stovetop variety. Topped with a simple frico of crisp, baked cheddar and bread crumbs, it's irresistible. 

Enjoy new episodes of Cook's Country Saturdays at 12:30 pm on WTTW and streaming via the PBS app.

Crispy-Creamy Sheet Pan Macaroni and Cheese

Who doesn’t love macaroni and cheese? And tailoring it to work on a sheet pan eliminates the need for multiple pots and lots of stirring. Our ingredient list was the same as our latest company version of mac 'n’ cheese, which relies on deli American cheese because it contains a lot of emulsifiers and makes a béchamel unnecessary. Here’s the basic technique and where the sheet pan comes in: After soaking the macaroni in boiling water and draining it, we toss it with the cheese and some reserved starchy water and stir vigorously. Then we add sour cream, evaporated milk, and mustard powder, all standard stuff. And yes, we spread this mixture on a sheet pan that we've brushed with butter. After about 15 minutes in the oven, what we see is a sheet pan full of creamy macaroni and cheese. Oh, did we mention the lovely frico we made on the sheet pan earlier? We break it into pieces and sprinkle it and some toasted bread crumbs over the top. Mission accomplished.

Ingredients

1 pound elbow macaroni
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups), divided
8 ounces American cheese, shredded (2 cups)
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 teaspoons table salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions

1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine macaroni with 4 cups boiling water in large bowl. Cover and let sit for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheddar in center
of sheet, spreading into rough 10- by 8‐inch rectangle. Bake on upper rack until cheese is browned and lacy, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer sheet to wire rack and let cool slightly, then use spatula to slide crispy cheddar onto double layer of paper towels. Discard parchment, reserving sheet. Once cool enough to handle, break crispy cheddar into 1/2- to 1‐inch pieces; set aside.

3. Reserve 1/2 cup soaking water, then drain pasta and return it to bowl. Add American cheese, remaining 1 cup shredded cheddar, and reserved soaking water and stir vigorously until most of cheese is melted (some small clumps of cheese will remain; that is OK) and water has been absorbed. Stir in evaporated milk, sour cream, salt, and mustard until well combined.

4. Brush bottom and sides of now-empty sheet with 3 tablespoons melted butter. Transfer pasta mixture to sheet, being sure to scrape out any remaining cheese mixture in bowl, spreading into even layer if needed. Bake on lower rack until sauce is bubbling, 13 to 15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, toss panko with remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter in bowl until evenly coated. Microwave, stirring frequently, until light golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes.

6. Remove sheet from oven and sprinkle crispy cheddar pieces and toasted panko evenly over top. Serve immediately.