A Game Day Recipe With a Little Family History

Name: Dad's Favorite Game Day Mac & Cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: • 1 package (7 oz.) elbow macaroni; • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese; • 1 tablespoon Butter Premium Olive Oil, plus a little extra for the casserole dish; • 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan Sea Salt; • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; • 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour; • 1 cup milk or unsweetened almond milk; • 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

August 7, 2026

Dad’s favorite baked game day mac and cheese with sharp cheddar, Butter Olive Oil and crunchy Panko topping for Patriots football season

Some recipes become favorites because they're elaborate. Others become favorites because they're connected to a person, a place or a moment.

This one is Dad for me.

He loved football, and he was very superstitious about his team. If they were down by a few points and things weren't going the way he wanted, suddenly everyone in the room became the problem! He would make us all leave because, clearly, we must have been bringing the team bad luck.

We never really minded.

We simply moved into the kitchen, gathered around the table and helped ourselves to the mac & cheese while Dad stayed behind to do his part and get the game back on track.

Looking back, those moments make me smile. The football game may have been serious business to Dad, but for the rest of us, being sent out of the room usually meant more time together in the kitchen—and another helping of his favorite game-day mac & cheese.

Oh, those were the days. ❤️

It's funny how the smallest family traditions become the memories you treasure most. A football game on television, Dad convinced that our location in the house could somehow change the score, and a warm pan of cheesy macaroni waiting in the kitchen.

Food has a way of bringing those moments right back. One familiar aroma or one bite can make it feel like everyone is together again.

That's why I'm sharing this recipe again as football season approaches. It's not simply homemade baked mac and cheese. It's one of those recipes that carries a whole collection of memories with it.

Dad's Favorite Game Day Mac & Cheese

The Little Shop of Olive Oils

Servings

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Calories

457

Cuisine

American

Ingredients

• 1 package (7 oz.) elbow macaroni
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon Butter Premium Olive Oil, plus a little extra for the casserole dish
• 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan Sea Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk or unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cook the elbow macaroni according to package directions until just tender. Drain well.
Transfer the hot macaroni to a large bowl.
Add the shredded sharp cheddar cheese and 1 tablespoon Butter Premium Olive Oil. Stir gently until the pasta is coated and the cheese begins to melt.
Lightly coat a casserole dish with an additional drizzle of Butter Premium Olive Oil.
Spoon the macaroni and cheese mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
In a small bowl, whisk together the Himalayan Sea Salt, black pepper and flour.
Gradually add the milk, whisking until the mixture is smooth.
Pour the milk mixture evenly over the macaroni and gently stir or move the pasta around so the liquid is distributed throughout the casserole.
Sprinkle the Panko breadcrumbs evenly over the top.
Bake at 350°F for approximately 25–30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the breadcrumb topping is lightly golden.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.