Pepper-Jack and Mozzarella Macaroni and Cheese
Pepper-Jack and Mozzarella Macaroni and Cheese is one of our favorite meatless meals. I start this cozy and comforting pasta baked macaroni and cheese by making a rich white sauce. Then I stir in two kinds of cheese and elbow macaroni noodles. I use Pepper Jack cheese to give this dish a little spice, and then I add fresh mozzarella cheese to temper some of the heat and add extra creaminess. Finally, I top the dish with buttered breadcrumbs and bake it all until its warm and bubbling. We like this dish for several reasons. First of all, I like that this is a meatless meal. We enjoy eating meat but like to have some meatless meals as well. Secondly, I like that I can make this entire meal in just about one hour. That makes it a great meal to prepare on busy nights. And, lastly, we all love the rich cheese sauce, the filling macaroni, and the buttered breadcrumbs.
The Equipment I Used
- A Food Processor- You’ll need this to make the breadcrumbs. You could also use a blender.
The Ingredients Needed for Pepper-Jack and Mozzarella Macaroni and Cheese
- Macaroni- I like Barilla brand macaroni for my baked macaroni and cheese.
- Butter- Use unsalted butter to make the white sauce.
- Onion- If you don’t like onions, you can omit this.
- Flour- Use all-purpose flour.
- Chicken Stock-I like to use my homemade chicken stock for this.
- Heavy Cream- Be sure to use heavy cream, not light cream or half and half.
- Cheese- I used Boar’s Head Three Pepper Colby Jack cheese and fresh mozzarella cheese. Both cheeses need to be grated.
- Bread- I used Pepperidge Farms white bread to make my breadcrumbs.
How I Made my Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- First, I made a creamy white sauce and then added in the beaten eggs. It’s important to temper the eggs with some of the hot sauce. That way, the eggs don’t scramble.
- Next, I add the cheese and macaroni to the sauce and then bake it until the cheese is melted.
If you like warm and melty cheese, you need to try this cozy and comforting Pepper-Jack and Mozzarella Macaroni and Cheese.
Pepper-Jack and Mozzarella Macaroni and Cheese
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 3 cups elbow macaroni
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
- ¼ cup minced onion
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 2 beaten eggs
- 2 cups Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 cups white bread, torn into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Boil the macaroni in a large pot of water with three tablespoons of kosher salt and drain it well.
- Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, on medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter and cook the onions until they're tender.
- Add the flour to the onions and cook for two minutes. Then add the chicken stock and cream and cook for two more minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Remove the pot from the heat.
- Stir a half cup of the sauce into a bowl with the beaten eggs. This is to temper, or heat up the eggs so don't scramble in the hot sauce. Mix it with a spoon, and then add the warmed up eggs to the warm pot. Stir in the macaroni and cheeses and put it in a greased 9 by 11 casserole.
- In a small skillet, melt the rest of the butter. Make breadcrumbs out of the bread in the food processor, and cook them in the butter for 3 minutes.
- Scatter the bread crumbs over the macaroni and cheese and bake for 30 minutes.
