Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prep and bake setup
- Preheat oven to 375F and grease a 9x13 baking dish so the mac won’t stick.
Cook pasta
- Cook the elbow pasta or shells in boiling salted water until tender, then drain.
Make the cheese sauce
- Melt unsalted butter in a pot over medium heat, then whisk in all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Gradually add whole milk and heavy cream while whisking, then simmer until the sauce is thick.
- Stir in sharp cheddar, Gruyère, Dijon mustard, and smoked paprika until smooth.
Combine and bake
- Fold in the pasta, broccoli florets, frozen peas, roasted red peppers, and baby spinach, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer the mixture to the greased dish, then mix panko topping ingredients (panko, butter, and parmesan) and scatter evenly over the top.
- Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbling at the edges.
Notes
For the smoothest sauce, whisk constantly when adding the milk and cream so no flour lumps form. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat in a 350F oven until warmed through (add a splash of milk if needed). Freezing is not recommended because the cheeses can grain after thawing. If you want a lighter version, use half-and-half in place of heavy cream for a slightly thinner but still creamy bake.