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Monday, August 14, 2017

RECIPE: Mac N Cheese


A while back I reached out on Bookstagram for any recipes anyone wanted me to try and post.  Ashley (@bookishmommy) requested a spicy mac n cheese recipe.  I immediately knew I wanted to use my friend, Jessica's, recipe because it is SO DELISH!  I now proudly share the recipe with you all.  Enjoy!


What you need:

1 lb pasta (traditional elbow macaroni or cavatappi)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups whole milk (whole milk is key, it helps keep the sauce from getting grainy)
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded (if can't find pepper jack, use monterey jack, the creaminess of jack cheese makes for a nice sauce)
Salt/pepper
Crushed red pepper 

1.  Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to directions. 

2.  While pasta is cooking, in a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, and cook for 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Add garlic powder and whisk.

3.  SLOWLY add in the milk (no more than 1/3 cup at a time), whisking constantly. The flour mixture will seize up, but that's ok. Just make sure to keep whisking so that all the milk is incorporated before you add more. When all the milk is incorporated, bring sauce to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until sauce has thickened (about 5 minutes), stirring often. Add cheese and stir to incorporate. Salt and pepper to taste (make the sauce a little saltier than you think you should, because the noodles will absorb some of that saltiness). Add crushed red pepper to taste - for me, the spicier the better but use at your own discretion (or not at all!)  Add sauce to pasta and taste and season again. Enjoy!

*** If you want a crusty/cheesy top, make sure you under cook the noodles by at least a couple of minutes. Then put the pasta/sauce in a casserole dish, top with garlic breadcrumbs and cheese, and put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes. ***

WARNING:  The sauce doesn't chill/reheat very well (it still tastes good, but the sauce breaks and gets a bit oily), so I would either make it right before your event and keep it at room temperature, or, if possible, make it on the fly. This makes about 5-6 dinner-sized portions.

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