1lbpackage penne noodlescan also use macaroni or shells
4tablespoonunsalted butterplus more to grease baking dish
4tablespoonall-purpose flour
1tablespoonplus 2 tsp. kosher saltdivided
½teaspoonground black pepper
¼teaspoongarlic powder
1 ½cupsheavy cream
1cupmilk
4cupssharp cheddar cheesegrated and divided
2cupsjack cheesegrated and divided
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a medium-sized casserole/baking dish with softened butter and set aside (I use a 9x9x2 dish).
Fill a large stock pot full of water and heat over high heat. Add 1 tbsp. kosher salt to the water to help flavor the noodles.
When the noodles are "al dente" (still firm, but mostly cooked), remove and drain. Make sure to not completely cook through, as they will continue to cook when baked. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Once melted, sprinkle in flour and stir to combine.
Mix in the remaining 2 tsp. kosher salt, the pepper and the garlic powder.
Slowly add the cream into the mixture, stirring constantly. There will be tiny bits of the flour mixture that remain once the cream in fully combined, but that's okay.
Add the milk and stir to incorporate.
Bring the mixture almost to a boil, then reduce to low and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, until thickened.
Sprinkle in 3 cups of the cheddar and 1 cup of the jack, stirring well to melt. Cook an additional 4-6 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a large mixing bowl(or in the pot used to cook the noodles), mix the drained noodles with the cheese sauce.