Description
A creamy cheese sauce made with four cheeses and topped with crunchy toasted Ritz crumbs.
Ingredients
Scale
1 lb pasta
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 cup plain greek yogurt
2 cups milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
Toasted Ritz Cracker Crumbs
20 Rtiz crackers
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Fill a medium pot with water and cook pasta according to package instructions. Make sure to salt the water by adding a very large pinch of salt to the boiling water. Once pasta is cooked, strain out water. Add 1 tbsp of butter to the pasta and mix to coat. The butter will make sure the pasta doesn’t stick together in one clump.
- While water is boiling, grate your cheese. Combine all the grated cheese into one bowl and toss together to mix. Set aside.
- Make your cheese sauce: Start by making the roux for the sauce. In a dutch oven or deep skillet, over medium-high heat, melt butter until just bubbling. Add in flour and whisk until it thickens.
- Next add in paprika, onion and garlic powder, dijon mustard. And whisk to combine. Pour in milk and yogurt to the skillet and whisk until it all comes together.
- Next add in half of the cheese mixture to the sauce, whisking until melted. Save the other half of the mixture for topping.
- Remove the cheese sauce from heat. Pour pasta into sauce, stirring to coat all the pasta with the cheese sauce.
- Pour the cheesy pasta into a 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes until the cheese onto is turning a golden brown color.
- Make toasted Ritz crumbs: Add about 20 crackers to a plant bag and crush them into crumbs by pounding with a wooden spoon or rolling pin. Add butter to a skillet over medium heat. Pour cracker crumbs and spices into skillet. Stir to coat crumbs. Toast for about 4-5 minutes until fragrant. When crumbs start to turn a dark golden color, remove from heat to cool
- Once cooked, remove from oven and cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with Ritz crumbs, fresh thyme.