Pioneer Womans Not Your Grannys Mac Cheese Recipes

MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook the macaroni until still slightly firm. Drain and set aside.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg. In a large pot, melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook for a couple of minutes, whisking constantly. Don't let it burn. Pour in the milk, add the mustard and whisk until smooth. Cook until very thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.
• Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into the beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the eggs. Whisk together until smooth. Pour the egg into the sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. Add in the cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt and the pepper. Add any additional spices if desired. Taste the sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.
• Pour in the drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately (while it's still very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese and bake until bubbly and golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Fry the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until slightly crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and cut into bite-size pieces.
• In a separate pan, cook the onions in the butter over a low heat until caramelized, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Use a fork to crumble the gorgonzola.
• Put the bacon, caramelized onions and crumbled gorgonzola into separate bowls. Serve as delicious toppings for both sliders and macaroni cheese.

SHEET PAN MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a half-sheet pan in the oven to heat.
• Place a saucepan over a medium heat, then add the evaporated milk, processed cheese, 1 cup of the Cheddar, 1 cup of the Gruyere, the dry mustard, hot sauce and salt, then whisk until the cheeses are melted and the mixture is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to coat and combine.
• In a small bowl, toss together the Parmesan with the remaining 1 1/2 cups Cheddar and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere.
• Remove the sheet pan from the oven and carefully spray with the cooking spray. Pour the mac and cheese from the saucepan into the sheet pan and spread evenly.
• Sprinkle the cheese mixture evenly over the top. Bake until the cheese topping is fully melted and the mixture is bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, then garnish with the basil and serve.

MAC AND CHEESE PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
• Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli, scallion whites, garlic, asparagus and bell pepper. Season with the salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Splash in the wine and allow it to reduce for 1 minute. Add the milk and cream and continue to cook until warmed through. Stir in the peas.
• Toss together the fontina, Cheddar and cornstarch in a bowl.
• While stirring the sauce, sprinkle in the cheese mixture. Stir until the cheese is completely melted. Bring to a simmer and allow the sauce to thicken, about 1 minute. Add the pasta and stir until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning to taste. Garnish with the reserved scallion greens.

PIONEER WOMAN'S NOT YOUR GRANNY'S MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Boil pasta until al dente.
• In a large skillet, add olive oil and saute garlic and vegetables over medium heat for a couple of minutes.
• Add in canned chilies and stir around, then turn off heat.
• Drain pasta and add it to skillet.
• Pour on cream, add cheese, then add salt and pepper to taste and stir gently.
• At the end, add 2 tablespoons butter and stir again. Check seasonings and serve.
• Serve with juicy steak, with grilled shrimp, chicken, or on its own. It'll change your life for the better.

MAC AND FOUR CHEESES

Steps:

• Cook the macaroni according to the package directions in lightly salted water, leaning toward the al dente side. Do not overcook!
• Put the cream, butter and garlic clove into a Dutch oven and heat on the stove over low heat. When the cream is hot, add the fontina, goat cheese, Parmesan and Romano.
• Drain the macaroni (reserving some of the cooking water if needed) and add it to the pot. Stir gently to combine, adding hot macaroni water as needed for consistency. Don't overmix; if there are little clumps of cheese here and there, it's fine! Taste and add about 1/2 teaspoon salt if needed. Add some pepper and minced parsley and stir. Serve immediately.