Pimento Cheese Baked Mac and Cheese
On the rare occasion I have a bit of pimento cheese laying around, this is an easy dish that is a family favorite. Learning the secrets to a great baked macaroni and cheese is one of the many gifts from the south that I am excited to share with you. This is a great side to any southern-style supper!
To start you’re going to need;
2 cups of cooked elbow (or penne pasta)
1 cup of Baby Bear Biscuits pimento cheese
1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups of milk
1 ounce butter
2 tablespoons ap flour
2 eggs
Panko breadcrumbs
Pinch of paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
The cheese sauce
My secret here is making a bechamel (or milk-based sauce) and then mixing that with the eggs to make the base for the mac and cheese instead of just using milk and eggs for the royale. This helps to keep it extra creamy by not letting the cheese break and get oily. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and then mix in the flour and cook for 1 minute on low to make the roux, it’s super important to cook the roux before you start to thicken with it to help the roux thicken and remove a raw flavor. Slowly add the milk and let it come to a simmer and thicken. When it does, add most of the sharp shredded cheese, saving a big pinch to garnish the top of your mac and cheese before if goes into the oven. This mixed with the egg will give you a delicious baked macaroni and cheese that keeps it’s sauciness!
Step by Step
In a small sauce-pan melt the butter and add the flour, cook for 1 miute and then add your milk and cook at a simmer until it thickens. Add ¾ of the shredded cheese (saving the rest to garnish) to the sauce and season with the salt, pepper, and paprika.
Mix in the eggs with the cheese sauce and then mix that with the pasta. Now fold in the pimento cheese and fill a greased casserole dish with the macaroni and cheese mix.
Top the mix with the panko breadcrumbs and shredded cheese and bake for 20 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and delicious! Let the mac and cheese sit for 5-6 minutes to setup and then dig in!
Tips
If you have a convection oven then turn the fan off or cover the mac and cheese for the first 10 minutes and then let it bake uncovered until it is golden brown.
You can make the mac and cheese ahead of time as well, if you want to make the base the night before just cover it with foil before you put it in the oven and bake for 20 minutes covered and then do the final 20 minutes uncovered like in the instructions.
If you want to pre-bake the mac and cheese before guests arrive, bake it for about 10 minutes and then when you’re ready to serve dinner, just give it another 10-15 minutes in the oven to warm and crisp the top back up and you’re ready to go!
