Ridiculously cold weather means it’s time for comfort foods. At least in my book it does!
And almost nothing is more comforting than a big ol’ bowl of homemade mac & cheese, right?
(I like to serve mac & cheese with sautéed chicken bites, or a spiral ham. The perfect combo!)
Ingredients
- 3/4-1 lb short pasta (penne, rotini, shells, etc), cooked until almost al dente
- 16oz shredded cheddar cheese (about 3 cups), divided (1 1/2 cups + 1 1/2 cups)
- 8oz diced or shredded pepper jack cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 teaspoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle or cayenne powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup lowfat milk or chicken stock
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and butter a 9x13" baking dish.
Stir together the mostly cooked pasta, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar and the pepper jack cheese and spread into the greased baking dish.
In a medium bowl, stir together the rest of the ingredients, except the remaining 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar, the panko and the melted butter. Pour over the noodles in the baking dish.
Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar over the pasta. In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and melted butter and sprinkle over the cheese.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until cheese sauce is bubbling and the topping is golden brown!
http://sweetannas.com/2009/12/spicy-baked-mac-cheese.html
