Dinner for 12

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Name: Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb cavatappi pasta; 6 tbsp unsalted butter; 1/3 cup all-purpose flour; 3 cups whole milk; 1 cup heavy cream; 1 tsp salt; 6 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Cavatappi pasta is coated in a creamy cheddar sauce and baked until bubbling and lightly browned.

Typical price

$4.31for 4 servings

$1.08 per serving$4.31 for 4

City Store

Typical price: Salefork's estimate of an everyday US shelf price for each ingredient. Pick your city to price it from this week's ad.

The amounts listed are small for a full dinner, so this price per serving is likely low. Plan on a side or a bigger portion.

Photo: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

55 minstart to table
Mediumdifficulty
12servings as written
$typical cost tier

American Vegetarian Kid-friendly Budget Family Dinners

What it costs

Pick your city to see which ingredients are on sale

Ingredient	Amount	Cost
Pasta$0.10/oz typical	16 oz	$1.60Typical price
Butter$0.40/oz typical	3 oz	$1.20Typical price
Milk$0.04/oz typical	26 oz	$1.02Typical price
Heavy cream$0.22/oz typical	8.25 oz	$1.83Typical price
Cheddar and shredded cheese$0.30/oz typical	24 oz	$7.20Typical price
Total for the servings shown		$12.92

Pantry staples you likely have

Flour

Not included in the cost.

Ingredients

1 lb cavatappi pasta
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp salt
6 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Steps

Heat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter.
Boil the cavatappi in salted water until just tender, about 9 minutes, then drain it.
Melt the remaining butter in a large saucepan, whisk in the flour, and cook for 2 minutes.
Whisk in the milk, cream, and salt, then simmer for 6 minutes until slightly thickened.
Remove the sauce from the heat, stir in 5 cups cheddar until smooth, and mix in the pasta.
Spread the pasta in the dish, top with the remaining cheddar, and bake for 25 minutes until bubbling.

Swaps

Cheddar and shredded cheese for Mozzarellaabout the same price
Heavy cream for Evaporated or condensed milkabout $0.08/oz less at typical prices
Milk for Almond, soy or oat milkabout $0.01/oz more at typical prices
Butter for Margarine and vegan butterabout $0.15/oz less at typical prices