Big Flavor Mac & Cheese
Big time flavors and savory notes make this Mac & Cheese stand up next to any main dish!
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 13x9 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.
