Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese

Recipe Source: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dry pasta small (macaroni, penne, ziti, etc)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 1/2 cups milk any kind
• 1 tablespoons corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or more to taste)
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese
• 8 ounces monterey jack cheese
• 4 ounces Parmesan cheese grated

Directions:

1. Boil pasta in a pot of salted water according to box directions until it is right at al dente! Strain when done. Set aside while we make the cheese sauce.
2. Prepare your casserole dish by greasing it with cooking spray or butter. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Grate cheddar cheese and monterey jack cheeses and place into a medium bowl.
4. Add Parmesan cheese. Split into two bowls: 1/3 of the cheese mixture into one bowl and 2/3 of the cheese mixture in another bowl. Set aside.
5. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic powder and flour. Whisk for 2 minutes. It should begin to thicken. This is the roux. It will make the sauce super thick and delicious.
6. Reduce heat to medium low and gradually add 4 cups of the milk (leave 1/4 cup for the corn starch slurry), about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking between each addition. Once all the milk is added, increase heat to medium so that the sauce begins to boil and thicken.
7. While the milk sauce is heating to a boil, make the corn starch slurry. This will help the sauce thicken even more. We need this since we're not using a heavy cream or high-fat milk.
8. To make the slurry, mix corn starch with remaining 1/4 cup of milk until the lumps are gone. Add this to the milk mixture.
9. Keep whisking sauce until it has thickened to almost the texture of a gravy. Add salt and pepper. Taste it to make sure it tastes right. Add more seasoning if needed.
10. Once thickened, remove from heat. Add the 2/3 of the cheese mixture and stir. The heat of the sauce will melt the cheese and make a delicious cheese sauce.
11. Once the cheese has melted into the sauce, add the cooked pasta and combine. Give it a taste to make sure you have enough seasoning.
12. Add mac and cheese to the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese all over the top. Place in preheated oven to reheat and melt the cheese on top, about 15 minutes. If you want a crispier top, let it keep cooking until about 20 minutes.
13. Remove from oven and let it cool for a couple minutes before serving.