I made Ina Garten's easy overnight mac and cheese, and it was one of the best dishes I've ever made for Thanksgiving

Anneta KonstantinidesNov 23, 2021, 00:34 IST

I made Ina Garten's overnight mac and cheese, and it was everyone's favorite dish at Friendsgiving.Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I made Ina Garten's new overnight mac and cheese recipe.
The dish includes Gruyère and white cheddar cheeses, and the simple recipe barely takes any prep.

I've been cooking my way through Ina Garten's pasta recipes for more than a year.

I love trying out Ina Garten's pasta recipes.Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I knew Garten's overnight mac and cheese gratin would be the perfect pasta dish for Thanksgiving.

Garten's overnight mac and cheese appears in the reissue of her first cookbook.Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Garten's overnight mac and cheese only requires a few ingredients.

Garten's overnight mac and cheese includes both Gruyère and sharp white cheddar.Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

My prep started the day before Friendsgiving, and the first step was (briefly) cooking the pasta.

I cooked my pasta for exactly four minutes.Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Then it was time to do a little prep.

First I grated the Gruyère and sharp white cheddar cheeses.Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Then I got to work on the creamy sauce.

To make the sauce, first I added my two cheeses to a bowl.Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

After adding the cheeses, I threw in the heavy cream.

Then I poured in the heavy cream.Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Then I added the seasoning.

Then I added the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

After the creamy sauce was ready, I threw in the cavatappi pasta.

I stirred my hot pasta into the creamy sauce.Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

The next day, I took my pasta out of the fridge and buttered my baking dish.

The next day, I buttered my baking dish.Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I added the pasta mixture to my baking dish, along with the cheeses.

I spread the pasta evenly over the dish and added more cheese on top.Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I topped everything off with the breadcrumbs.

Don't forget the breadcrumbs!Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I cooked my mac and cheese for 25 minutes, making sure to rotate the dish halfway through.

I rotated my pasta halfway through the baking time.Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

When the mac and cheese came out of the oven, it had turned a beautiful golden-brown color.