Easy Baked Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups milk
• 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese (or use 1 cup cottage cheese, ricotta or sour cream)
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder or mustard (optional)
• Pinch of ground cayenne or nutmeg (or both)

• 1 pound elbow macaroni or another small pasta shape
• 1 pound/5 cups grated Cheddar (or a mix of cheeses)

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs, preferably panko
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for topping if needed

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In the blender, combine milk, cream cheese, 1½ teaspoons salt, garlic, mustard powder (if using), a lot of black pepper and a pinch of cayenne, nutmeg or both. Blend until smooth.
3. Put pasta in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, and scatter Cheddar on top.
4. Pour the milk mixture over the macaroni and cheese in the pan.
5. Make the topping: Melt butter in a pan over medium heat or in the microwave, and stir in bread crumbs and Parmesan. Scatter the mixture over the top of the macaroni.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, then increase the heat to 450 degrees and continue to bake until the top is golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving; this gives the pasta a chance to absorb all of the milk.