In honor of our Pasta Bowl campaign, Elizabethtown restaurant, J.R. Neighbors taught our Executive Director, Charles Dennis how to create one of their house special sides: Mac-n-Cheese. Follow their recipe down to the cheese, or experiment and create your own!
Cooking Equipment
- Large pot
- 2 quart saucepan
- Whisk
- Food processor
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Greased casserole dish
Ingredients
- 8 oz cavatappi pasta
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 ⅔ cup of whole milk
- ½ cup of smoked gouda
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ white cheddar cheese
- 1 cup white american cheese
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp granulated onion
- 1 tsp aleppo pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Crumb Topping
- 1 ½ cup croutons
- 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- ½ tbsp aleppo pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Bring a pot of water and 2 tbsp of salt to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook for 7-8 minutes while lightly stirring. Drain and rinse and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, set the saucepan to low-medium heat. Melt the butter completely. Whisk in the flour and cook for 3-5 minutes or until a light brown paste. Slowly whisk in the milk while stirring continuously to remove clumps. Bring to a light simmer.
- Slowly add in cheeses, 1 at a time. Add the seasonings and simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until all of the cheeses have melted.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, and more milk if you’d like a thinner sauce. Simmer for an additional minute for a thicker sauce.
- For the crumb topping, add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until you get a coarse, sand-like texture.
- In an oven safe and greased casserole dish, add the pasta and spread out evenly.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta, but do not mix.
- Spread the crumb mix evenly over the top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.