Macaroni & Cheese Recipes

Mac & Cheese & Cheese & Cheese

Tillamook® Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar, Tillamook® Colby Jack

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Tillamook® Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/2 pound Tillamook® Colby Jack Cheese, small cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 pound fusili pasta
1 clove garlic, minced
6 tablespoons Tillamook® Butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
5 strips cooked bacon (optional)
3 tablespoons chives, chopped (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 13 by 9 inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons butter, set aside.

Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and olive oil to a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and cook fusilli pasta according to package directions (fusilli pasta works well in macaroni & cheese because the spirals hold the cheese sauce to each piece of pasta but elbow macaroni and small shells also work)

While pasta is cooking, melt remaining 1/4 cup of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes to release flavor. Stir in flour, dry mustard, and red pepper until well combined. Slowly add buttermilk to flour mixture while constantly stirring to prevent lumps. Add in Worcestershire sauce. Continue to stir for a few more minutes as mixture thickens. Set aside 1/2 cup of shredded Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese. Add remaining cheddar cheese to saucepan mixture stirring until mostly melted. Remove from heat.

When pasta is finished cooking, drain and return to pot. Add cheese sauce to pasta, stirring until well mixed. Stir in small cubes of Tillamook Colby Jack cheese. Keeping cubes small will allow them to melt while they are in the oven leaving small pockets of melted cheese throughout the dish. Pour contents of pot into prepared baking dish. Top by sprinkling the remaining cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, and breadcrumbs. For a more complex flavor, crumble the 5 strips of cooked bacon into bits and sprinkle on top.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minute or until top reaches desired crispiness. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Garnish each serving with chopped chives and enjoy.