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Big Flavor Mac & Cheese
bpartington23@gmail.com

Big Flavor Mac & Cheese

Big time flavors and savory notes make this Mac & Cheese stand up next to any main dish!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 16
Course: American, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, French
Calories: 296
Ingredients Method

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

Method
 

  1. Cook pasta according to box instructions, generally just to al dente.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  3. If using, fry pancetta in small frying pan over medium heat until browned
  4. Grease 13x9 inch casserole dish with butter or spray
  5. Mix all ingredients except for paprika in large bowl
    Big Flavor Mac & Cheese before cooking
  6. Pour contents from large bowl into casserole dish
  7. Bake for 45 minutes covered with aluminum foil.
  8. Remove foil, and cook for an additional 15 minutes uncovered, until all the milk/liquid has been cooked into the mac & cheese.
  9. Optionally, spread breadcrumbs along surface, which will crisp up as it finished baking.
  10. Sprinkle paprika as desired
  11. Bake for an additional 15 minutes uncovered, until all the milk/liquid has been cooked into the mac & cheese.