Jacked Macncheese Food

KICKED UP MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. A little at a time, whisk in milk, mustard, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, then remove from heat and whisk in pepperjack, Cheddar and Parmesan until smooth. Stir in cooked pasta and pour into shallow 2 quart baking dish.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in bread crumbs and chili powder. Sprinkle over macaroni mixture.
• Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

SUPER SPICY MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
• Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the crushed red pepper, jalapeno, garlic and onion and cook, stirring, until the veggies have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and heat until starting to bubble around the edges. Add the processed cheese and stir until melted. Add the Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheeses, pepper, kosher salt, seasoned salt and hot sauce to taste. Stir until the cheese is melted. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add a splash of milk if the sauce seems too thick. Fold in the cooked macaroni and serve.
• Reheating instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the mac and cheese in a baking dish, cover with foil and heat until warmed through, about 25 minutes.

MAC DADDY MAC N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place shallots and garlic in a small aluminum foil pouch and drizzle with olive oil. Roast 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from foil and chop. In a large saute pan, reheat reserved bacon fat over medium heat. Add roasted shallot and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in heavy cream and thyme. Reduce by a third. Stir in cheeses until melted, creamy and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and gently stir in pasta. Place in a 9X13 casserole dish. In a small bowl, mix together diced bacon, bread crumbs, butter and parsley. Top Mac n Cheese with Panko mixture and bake uncovered at same heat until bubbling and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

THE BEST BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just slightly softened, about 6 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and rinse under cold water.
• Meanwhile, remove the crusts from the bread and cut into 1-inch cubes. Pulse in the food processor until the bread breaks into bean-sized pieces.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until toasted, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, mustard powder and cayenne. Cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce begins to boil and thicken, about 7 minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in the fontina, Gruyere and all but 1 1/2 cups of the Cheddar until fully melted. Stir in the pasta, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to make a creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
• Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Brush a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with the melted butter. Spread the pasta mixture in the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining Cheddar evenly over the pasta, then scatter the toasted breadcrumbs on top. Bake until heated through and just bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

JACKED UP MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Add both boxes of macaroni (pasta only) into a casserole dish and add water.
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 8 minutes.
• After 8 minutes lift foil, stir gently, replace foil and bake for another 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons melted butter to the crushed Ritz crushed crackers and mix.
• Lay strips of bacon on a plate and cover with a paper towel.
• Microwave at 30 second intervals until bacon is crispy.
• Once bacon is cool, crumble into pieces.
• When pasta is ready, remove from oven and stir in 1/2 cup butter, milk and 1 cup cheddar cheese.
• Top with remaining cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon and crushed crackers.
• Return to oven, uncovered, until topping is golden brown and bubbling (about 15 minutes). Serve.
• Additional add-ins: grilled chicken, broccoli, peas, tuna, salsa or ground beef.
• Healthy Alternatives: Use whole grain or veggie pasta. Add whole grain crushed crackers for topping.

JACKED MAC'N'CHEESE

Steps:

• Dice peppers, onion, and tomatoes.
• Melt 1 tbsp butter at medium heat.
• Sautee onions until golden brown (2 minutes), next add peppers and sautee for an additional 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and sautee, stirring occasionally until pasta is done. Sprinkle with adobe seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
• Meanwhile, boil dilatini or macaroni.
• Drain pasta, rinse with cold water and set aside.
• In pasta pot, melt remaining butter over low heat.
• Add flour to butter and stir to make a roux, browning a bit as you stir.
• Remove from heat and whisk in 1 cup milk. Whisk repeatedly to break up clumps. Mixture should be smooth and thick. Return to low heat.
• Slowly add cheese to milk mixture whisking regularly. Add sour cream to sauce, stirring to incorporate. If the sauce gets too thick, add more milk.
• Add pasta and sauteed veggies to sauce. Stir to coat pasta.
• Finish by seasoning with hot sauce (I like tobasco or sylvia's).
• Garnish with some additional shredded cheese and some chopped coriander or chives.