Growing up I loved comfort foods. Macaroni and cheese was one of the recipes I always wanted my mom to make. It was creamy, baked, cheesy and delicious. When I moved out of my home at 17, I tried to make my first ever homemade baked mac n cheese. It was not a pretty site. I had no idea how to make a cheese sauce, so I just assumed you cooked the pasta, added some milk to that in a baking dish and poured the cheese on and baked. Boy was I wrong. What a disaster of a mess that was. Clumpy and not appealing. I finally learned how to make macaroni and cheese throughout the years, and have made it numerous ways from traditional with or without a breadcrumb topping, a hot dog casserole topped with cheesy goodness, added vegetables and many other ways. The way I’m going to show you today, is a three cheese macaroni and cheese with a kick! I love it this way because its spicier and full of flavor.
Heat oven to 350°. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. In a large pot on medium/high heat, melt butter. Blend in flour, dry mustard, salt and pepper to make a roux. Gradually stir in milk(I do 1/2 cup at a time)
Stirring well after each addition. Constantly stir until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Add cheeses and hot sauce. 
Whisk until cheese is melted. 
Add pasta to pot and mix well. 
Spray a 3 quart casserole dish lightly with cooking spray. Add macaroni and cheese to the oven dish and top with reserved cheese. 
Bake 30 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving. You can add a buttered toasted breadcrumb topping if you’d like. My kids don’t like it so I don’t make it this way. Serve as a side dish to many meals and top with more pepper, pepper makes everything better:) Enjoy.
| Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese With A Kick |
|
- 8 oz elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoon salted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 4-6 dashes hot sauce
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese-shredded
- 3 oz mozzarella cheese-shredded
- 3 oz pepper jack cheese-shredded
- reserve 1 oz of each cheese for topping
- Cooking Spray
- Heat oven to 350°.
- Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
- In a large pot on medium/high heat, melt butter.
- Blend in flour, dry mustard, salt and pepper to make a roux.
- Gradually stir in milk(1/2 cup at a time) stirring well after each addition.
- Constantly stir until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Add cheeses and hot sauce.
- Whisk until cheese is melted.
- Add pasta to pot and mix well.
- Spray a 3 quart casserole dish lightly with cooking spray.
- Add macaroni and cheese to the oven dish and top with reserved cheese.
- Bake 30 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving. Top with more pepper
Add a buttered toasted breadcrumb topping if you like before baking
One of my daughter’s favorites. We dont do the crumb topping either, but I like it.
Oh lord yummy!!!
Oh wow that looks delicious!!!