MAC AND CHEESE / HIGHLY REQUESTED

WHAT YOU NEED

1 box (16 oz) of Mueller’s Elbow Macaroni Pasta

1 large block of Monterey jack, Munster and Colby jack cheese

1 bag of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 large block of Velveeta

1 stick of salted butter

⅓ cup of all purpose flour

1 can of carnation evaporated milk

2 eggs

2% milk *about 2 cups*

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Salt, fresh cracked black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder

*(Cast Iron Skillet, mine was a 10-inch greased but you need a dutch oven or some type of enameled casserole dish AND a whisk, you NEED to have these)*

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

Fill a large stock pot with 4-6 quarts of cold water. Heavily salt your water and let come to a rapid boil.

Add one full box of Mueller’s Elbow Pasta.

While your pasta water comes to a boil, shred the following with a box grater

½ of Monterey block, ½ of Colby jack block, ½ of Munster block. Add ½ bag of sharp cheddar shreds to your other cheese. You will have A LOT but it's mac and cheese, so you knew that.

Cube your Velveeta, you should only need a little over half of the block. Set aside with other cheese.

Once all cheese has been prepped, your macaroni should be al dente at this point. I shred my cheese by hand with a box grater. If you have a food processor or special tool for this, let your pasta boil for two minutes under the recommended time.

A trick I use is to turn the pot off at two minutes under. Wait for the water to stop bubbling and moving, then drain the pasta. Tasting works well too.

Drain your macaroni elbows and keep in a Colander and set aside. Now you can use the same pot for your roux or a large skillet, it's up to you.

In your saucepan or skillet, heat your stick of butter on medium low heat. This roux is going to be a white sauce, so you don’t want to brown your butter, just a nice slow melt.

Once your butter is melted and just starting to bubble gently, whisk in your flour, I used between ⅓ cup and maybe two tablespoons more (YES HAS TO BE A WHISK FOR NO LUMPS). Your mixture should still be loose and liquid, if it's lumped or solid, you don’t have enough butter.

In a large bowl or measuring cup, mix your milk, heavy cream and eggs. Beat until homogeneous. It should be fully combined. Microwave for 30 seconds. Mix again and add warm custard/cream into your skillet. Whisk until mixed well and continue to stir periodically until your white sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Add in a few Velveeta cubes and a handful of your shredded cheeses. Mix well until the cheese melts into the sauce. Add your seasonings to taste. Sauce should be thick but not solid or clumpy. Immediately pour your cheese sauce onto your macaroni.

While assembling, preheat your oven to 405 degrees Fahrenheit.

You should have cooked macaroni noodles covered in your cheese sauce, your shredded cheese, cubed Velveeta & a cast iron skillet that has been lightly greased.

Layer half of your macaroni into the skillet, add in cubes of Velveeta, then cover with shredded cheese. Repeat another layer with the other half and crack fresh black pepper over the top. Bake for 20 minutes, stir halfway through. I like to let mine go a little longer for those crispy browned bits but it's to your preference.

You can absolutely use shredded cheese in a bag if you’re in a rush BUT the cheese is creamier and has a better melt when you shred it yourself. Overall, I really love how this has turned out when I do it this particular way.

Leave me a comment of your mac and cheese method, lets see how similar or different ours are!