Recipe

Smoky Mac 'N Cheese

Community Pick!

Recipe
No Questions Yet

Photo by epicureanodyssey

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Baked Pasta
Chef
epicureanodyssey's Notes: I'm a relatively lazy cook, so am always looking for shortcuts without compromising flavor. This recipe came about when a group of friends decided to make "comfort food" for the Super Bowl...
I'm a relatively lazy cook, so am always looking for shortcuts without compromising flavor. This recipe came about when a group of friends decided to make "comfort food" for the Super Bowl last year. It seems most mac 'n cheese recipes call for using every pot and bowl in the kitchen. I managed to scale it down to a few. A nice, easy, addition to this dish is commercially roasted chicken. Shred the chicken and add it to the macaroni before pouring it into the prepared baking dish. To make chipotle puree, put a small can chipotle chiles in adobo in the food processor and puree to a paste. Store in the refrigerator in a glass jar topped with a thin film of flavorless oil.

Expand Collapse

Serves 8

4 1/2 cups elbow macaroni (18 ounces) Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Ask a question about this ingredient

1 1/4 cup heavy cream Ask a question about this ingredient

1 cup whole milk Ask a question about this ingredient

1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon chipotle puree Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon kosher salt Ask a question about this ingredient

12 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, grated Ask a question about this ingredient

3 14-ounce cans fire-roasted tomatoes with green chiles, preferably Muir Glen Ask a question about this ingredient

3/4 cups sliced green onions, white and green parts Ask a question about this ingredient

3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese Ask a question about this ingredient

3/4 cups Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika Ask a question about this ingredient

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Ask a question about this ingredient

Cook and drain the macaroni as directed on the box. Return to the saucepan, toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and keep warm.
Ask a question about this step
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375º F. Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Ask a question about this step
In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, milk, mustard, chipotle puree, smoked paprika and salt just before the boiling point. Reduce the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour the sauce over the macaroni. Stir in the tomatoes and onions. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
Ask a question about this step
In a small bowl, stir together the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and smoked paprika. Add the olive oil and stir to combine. Sprinkle evenly over the macaroni mixture.
Ask a question about this step
Bake 25 minutes or until the edges are bubbly and the top is golden. Serve hot.
Ask a question about this step

6 Comments on Smoky Mac 'N Cheese

epicureanodyssey added about 1 year ago

Glad you enjoyed it, kbehroozi!! As you know, recipes are only a guideline and I always encourage folks to use their imagination in the kitchen.

kbehroozi added about 1 year ago

This stuff is AMAZING. I copied the recipe almost word for word, except that I put less olive oil in the topping (maybe just 1 T) and used a mixture of caramelized onion cheddar, extra sharp cheddar, and smoked gouda (what I had in the fridge) for the cheese. I think you can be liberal w/ the spices, too, as long as you're not making this for people with weak stomachs. It's brilliant and yummy and everyone will ask you for the recipe.