I made Ina Garten's 'grown up' mac and cheese. It's an easy Thanksgiving side dish that everyone will love.

Anneta KonstantinidesJan 14, 2024, 17:23 IST

I recently made Ina Garten's "grown up" mac and cheese and it's perfect for Thanksgiving. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I recently made Ina Garten's "grown up" mac and cheese dish.
The recipe features Gruyere, extra-sharp cheddar, and blue cheese, plus bacon and breadcrumbs.

The holidays are nearly upon us, which means it's time to indulge in one of the most universally-beloved pastas.

I'm talking about mac and cheese, obviously.

I'm a huge pasta fan, especially when the recipe is by Ina Garten (I've even been ranking them!). So before Thanksgiving this year, I decided to try her "grown up" mac and cheese.

Here's how it went.

Ina Garten's "grown up" mac and cheese features bacon, basil, and plenty of cheese.

Garten's "grown up" mac and cheese includes Gruyere, extra-sharp cheddar, and blue cheese. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

First, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prepped the bacon.

I cooked the bacon for 15 minutes. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

While the bacon was in the oven, I prepped my breadcrumbs and started cooking the pasta.

My chopped basil. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

And I grated a lot of cheese.

My grated Gruyere cheese. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I threw my chopped bread and basil into a food processor to make the breadcrumbs.

My homemade breadcrumbs. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Once the bacon had cooled a bit, I gave it a rough chop.

My chopped bacon pieces. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Then I began warming up some milk for the roux.

Garten says to make sure not to boil the milk. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

While the milk was heating, I began melting my butter.

Don't burn the butter! Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Then I added flour to the pot with the melting butter.

Making the roux for the mac and cheese sauce. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

As I whisked the flour and butter together, I added the hot milk.

I cooked the sauce for another two minutes so it had time to thicken a bit. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I took the pot off the heat and added all of my cheeses, plus seasoning.

Adding seasoning to the mac and cheese sauce. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I added the cooked cavatappi to the pot, as well as the chopped bacon.

Adding bacon to the mac and cheese. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Then I poured my mac and cheese into a casserole dish.

My mac and cheese fit perfectly into a 12-inch casserole dish. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I sprinkled my breadcrumbs over the mac and cheese and then threw the dish into the oven.

My mac and cheese just before it went into the oven. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Garten says to bake the mac and cheese for 35 to 40 minutes, but my pasta didn’t need that long.

The breadcrumbs on my mac and cheese were beautifully golden. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

My pasta was still bubbling as I started to serve dinner, and it looked like a creamy, cheesy dream.

My mac and cheese was still bubbling as I began to serve it. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Garten’s "grown up" mac and cheese is easy, delicious, and a great Thanksgiving side dish.

Garten's "grown up" mac and cheese is perfect for Thanksgiving. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I make the same potato casserole every Thanksgiving. My family raves about it, and it's so easy to make.

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