I am always trying to find big flavor Mac & Cheese. Countless times I’ve found myself at a high-end restaurant, and have been excited to see a very tempting Mac & Cheese on the menu. Now, I have to admit, I have ZERO discipline when it comes to Mac & Cheese. My lack of discipline is twofold. First, it’s that I LOVE a good macaroni and cheese recipe! Let’s face it, the reason it’s everywhere, is that everyone loves it! Secondly, I am always a bit dumbfounded, because I feel like nobody ever gives me what I’m looking for. So, what am I looking for, you ask? Unsurprisingly, I want some serious richness, cheesiness, and some serious flavor. Seems easy, right? No….apparently not. Instead, we need to go big, and going big requires going outside the box!
Mods
I’ve probably made this base recipe 100 times. Often, it’s requested as a side with ribs or brisket or even next to hamburgers by family and friends. I like to experiment….so, I often throw some different things in to see how it works. Of course, cater to your own tastes, but here are a few ideas on how to bring some serious flavor to your Big Flavor Mac & Cheese. So many options – make sure to use your AnyList app for your grocery list! It’s the best option for foodies and at-home cooks, saving you time and effort!
- Brisket!: I’ve taken leftover brisket, chopped it up finely and thrown it in, alongside other meats.
- Ham: This always brings a savoriness quality to the dish – if your ham is very savory, you can drop the salt and add after cooking as needed.
- Bacon: Everyone loves bacon….and to me it goes well with this. However, I think the pancetta brings a bit more classiness and meaty flavor.
- Chopped Hot Dogs: Yup – sliced hot dogs fit wonderfully with this dish….it puts cheddar-wurst to shame!
- Cheese Substitutions: You can definitely change up the cheeses – as long as you keep the base of American cheese (and I’d highly recommend sticking with Deli Deluxe). Also, I also really like going with Jalapeno Havarti instead of Pepper Jack. The creaminess of the Havarti is wonderful. Some options for cheese substitutions:
- Creamy Havarti: replace the fontina with havarti….gives a bit softer flavor.
- Gruyere: gives a bit of a welcome bite….to balance the saltiness of the american cheese.
Main Dishes to Serve with Big Flavor Mac & Cheese
Want some good ideas for main dishes to serve with this Big Flavor Mac & Cheese? Try the following!
- Smoked Meats: Brisket, Ribs, Pork, Sausage – pretty much any meat you can smoke, you can serve up alongside this to make a very hearty and flavorful meal.
- Steak: Any cut will do – if you have a smoker, check out the Traeger Smoked Steak recipe. Or, if you want to impress any foodie? Try Bacon Wrapped Parmesan Garlic Crusted Tenderloin!
- Salad: This Big Flavor Mac & Cheese is so flavorful and hearty, that it can stand alone as the main course! However, if you want something lighter on the side, serve up a fresh salad. Try the wonderful Tomato Salad Perfecto!
Big Flavor Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 box Orecchiette Pasta or Elbow Macaroni cooked
- 1 lb Deli Deluxe American Cheese This is 24 slices – I buy the stay fresh package, cubed into small cubes
- 1 cup jalapeno havarti (preferred) or pepper jack cheese cubed into small cubes
- 1 cup gruyere (preferred) or fontina cheese cubed into small cubes
- 2.5 cups Milk whole
- 4 tbsp minced onion
- 8 oz pancetta optional – remove for vegetarian mac & cheese
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- pepper to taste
- paprika to taste
- .5 cup breadcrumbs optional
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to box instructions, generally just to al dente.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- If using, fry pancetta in small frying pan over medium heat until browned
- Grease 13×9 inch casserole dish with butter or spray
- Mix all ingredients except for paprika in large bowl
- Pour contents from large bowl into casserole dish
- Bake for 45 minutes covered with aluminum foil.
- Remove foil, and cook for an additional 15 minutes uncovered, until all the milk/liquid has been cooked into the mac & cheese.
- Optionally, spread breadcrumbs along surface, which will crisp up as it finished baking.
- Sprinkle paprika as desired
- Bake for an additional 15 minutes uncovered, until all the milk/liquid has been cooked into the mac & cheese.
