Slammin' Macaroni & Cheese

Image: 8 ounce ramekin filled with baked macaroni and cheese.

Description: This rich, creamy, and smoky macaroni and cheese is absolutely perfect for your next summer gathering!

Yield: Recipe makes 2 - 8 ounce ramekins of mac & cheese

Ingredients:

• 3 cup total cheese, shredded

  • 1 cup shredded smoked gouda cheese

  • 1 cup of shredded mozzarella

  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk

• 2 eggs, scrambled

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 Tablespoon liquid smoke

• 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika

• 1 Tablespoon vegetable or chicken bouillon

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon white pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease 2-8 oz ramekins with a bit of butter or cooking spray.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta a few minutes less than the package directs for al dente. Drain pasta and set aside.

While water is coming up to a boil, grate cheeses and toss together to mix, then set aside in a container until ready to use. This recipe will use two cups of the cheese in the sauce and the remaining one cup to use as topping split between the two ramekins.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. Mixture will look like very wet sand. Cook for approximately 1 minute, whisking often. Slowly pour in milk, and continue cooking on medium heat, whisking very often, until thickened to a gravy-like consistency.

Remove from the heat and stir in spices and 2 cups of the shredded cheese mix, stirring to melt and combine.

Add the pasta to the cheese sauce pot, and stirring to combine fully. Let it cool for a few minutes, then add the egg. You don’t want the egg to cook yet in the mixture so it should not be super hot when you add the egg, and that’s why the egg is mixed in last.

Split the mixture evenly between the two buttered ramekins. Top both evenly with remaining cheese and bake for 20 minutes, then broil for 5 minutes to brown the cheese.

Remove from oven. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!