Recipe by our in-house chef, @MaddyGoldberg
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
Serving Size: 17 shells
Ingredients
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 1/3 cups milk (2% or 3.25%)
1 ½ cups cheddar, grated
1 cup mozzarella, cut into ½ inch cubes
½ cup parmesan, grated
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
17 jumbo shells
Salt
Method
Make the bechamel: In a saucepan, add butter and cook over medium-low heat until melted. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Keeping the pan over medium-low heat, add about 3 tbsp of milk, and whisk until smooth. Add another 3 tbsp of milk and whisk until smooth. Continue adding small amounts of milk, whisking between each addition, until all the milk is used. Stir the milk constantly over medium-low heat until the liquid is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and it is almost simmering. Remove from heat. Add half the cheddar cheese (¾ cup). Stir with a spoon (not a whisk) until combined. Add 1 ½ tsp of salt then stir. Taste then add more salt if needed. Cover and keep at room temperature while you cook the pasta.
Cook pasta: Fill a large pot with salted water. Place over high heat until boiling. Add 17-20 jumbo shells to boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes. Strain then rinse with cold water until cooled enough to handle.
Form then bake: Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a 9-inch cast iron pan or any oven-safe dish with parchment. Drizzle a small amount of bechamel around the base of the dish. Transfer about ½ of the bechamel sauce to a bowl. Add mozzarella cubes and stir. Working one shell at a time, place a large spoonful of bechamel sauce/cube mixture into the shell. Place shell in the parchment lined dish. Continue until all shells are filled and placed into the pan. Cover with remaining bechamel sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheddar (3/4 cup) and parmesan cheese over top of the shells. Sprinkle panko overtop of the cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown and shell edges are beginning to crisp. Cool for 5 minutes before eating. Serve hot.