1-Preheat and grease: Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F and greasing a 3-quart baking dish, which is about 9×13 inches, to ensure nothing sticks. This method helps create a bubbly, golden finish that makes the dish so appealing.

2-Cook pasta: Next, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add 1 pound of dried elbow pasta, cooking it 1 minute less than the package says for al dente texture. Once drained, drizzle the pasta with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking together. While the water boils, take time to shred the cheeses and divide them: about 3 cups for the sauce, 1 1/2 cups for the inner layer, and 1 1/2 cups for the topping.

3-Make roux and sauce: In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup of unsalted butter over medium heat, then sprinkle in 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour and whisk to combine. Cook this for about 1 minute until it looks like wet sand. Slowly whisk in about 2 cups of half and half until smooth, then gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of half and half plus 1 1/2 cups of whole milk, making sure everything blends well.

4-Thicken sauce and add seasoning: Keep whisking over medium heat until the sauce thickens to a consistency like semi-thinned condensed soup. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 tablespoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika, and 1 1/2 cups of cheese until it melts and combines. Add another 1 1/2 cups of cheese and stir until fully smooth.

5-Combine and bake: Combine the drained pasta with the cheese sauce in a large bowl, mixing thoroughly. Pour half into your prepared baking dish, top with 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese, add the rest of the mixture, and sprinkle the last 1 1/2 cups of cheese on top. Bake for 15 minutes until bubbly and lightly golden, and if you want a crispy crust, broil for 2-3 minutes.