Best Southern Recipe And Cheese Cracked Black Pepper
Best Southern Recipe And Cheese Mac And Cheese

Boil the cavatappi pasta according to the directions but take it out and drain 1 2 minutes early.

Its creamy and loaded with tons of gruyere and white cheddar cheese.

Best Southern Recipe And Cheese Mac And Cheese

The breadcrumb topping adds tons of crunchy texture and buttery flavor I use two different kinds of cheese in this baked mac and cheese but this recipe is versatile and can be made with different kinds of cheese.

The cheese is fresher and its way more cost effective than buying pre-shredded cheese.

But you can definitely use pre-shredded cheese and your mac and cheese will still taste delicious.

These are usually younger cheeses that havent been aged too long (though there are some exceptions to this).

Use cheese that adds a lot of flavor sharp cheddar, parmesan, pecorino, blue cheese, provolone.

You can see in the photo below, the shape of the pasta allows it to hold onto a lot of sauce.

Other good pasta shapes to use in mac and cheese are elbow macaroni, shells, fusilli, penne, or bowtie.

You dont want your roux to get too dark so keep the heat low enough to keep this a pale yellow color.

Note: darker roux is traditionally used for gumbo and etouffee.

I also recommend using a whisk at this point to make sure you get a smooth sauce.

Once the milk is added to the roux, its called a bechamel sauce and its now ready for the cheese.

At this point, if you want spicy mac and cheese, you can add a dash of cayenne powder or finely chopped jalapenos to the sauce.

Best Southern Recipe And Cheese Cracked Black Pepper

I added a half teaspoon of cayenne and lots of freshly cracked black pepper.

It definitely added a kick but it wasnt overwhelmingly spicy as we didnt want to make an overly spicy mac and cheese.

If your breadcrumbs start to get too dark, cover it with foil and continue baking.

Underneath will be perfectly cooked pasta covered in a rich, creamy gruyere sauce.

This also freezes well and can be kept in the freezer for 1 month.

You may need to cover the top with foil so the breadcrumbs dont burn.

You can also microwave for 1 minute at a time until the cheese starts to melt.

All opinions are my own and I only recommend products that I know, personally use, and trust.

Best Southern Recipe For Mac And Cheese