What do you guys think of this mac and cheese recipe?

[Cabin Fever]

I came across this recipe for mac and cheese on google. Apparently several different Q joints in Georgia use this same recipe. I've done quite a few mac and cheese recipes over the years that had 20+ ingredients and I've never really been happy with one yet. Just thought I'd throw this simple one out there and see what you guys thought.

Salt
1 (16-ounce) box rigatoni noodles
8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
4 ounces grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
2 cups heavy cream
Freshly ground pepper (if desired), to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat and season with salt. Add pasta and cook until just tender, about 12 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain well in a colander without rinsing.

Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Add half the cheddar, Monterey Jack and Parmesan, reserving the rest for the top. Add heavy cream and stir to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer the noodle mixture to a medium buttered gratin dish or casserole. Sprinkle remaining cheddar, Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheeses on top. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool slightly before serving.

 

[KORND4WG X]

Love mac n cheese and this one looks suitably cheesy. I also like the simplicity. I remember making a fancy one that I found online that probably ended up costing me $30 :twitch:

I'd probably add bread crumbs or panko on top for my fam :wink:

 

[jjrkegler]

Mine is basically that simple and everyone loves it, more than the one with gruyere and Swiss. What they like most is the smoke flavor from reheating it in the smoker.

 

[COS]

I would be willing to give it a try sometime. I like simple Mac n cheese.

 

[Cabin Fever]

I'd probably add bread crumbs or panko on top for my fam :wink:

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe even a little chopped jalapeno and grilled corn for a "tex-mex" spin.

 

[KORND4WG X]

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe even a little chopped jalapeno and grilled corn for a "tex-mex" spin.

Now you're up to 7 ingredients :wink:

 

[Bigr314]

Sounds good. I am going to try it.

 

[Evil-g]

I think it will be quite tasty. I'll give it a try but will probably add some Velveeta cheese to it.

 

[cheez59]

I have several mac & cheese recipes and they are all good. No matter which one I make everybody loves it. My problem is that all of them are kind of a pain to make because of either too many ingredients or too much prep time.

I'm looking for simple yet good recipes. This one will be the first that I try.

Thanks!

 

[wbzipf]

I like it, I will have to try that one!

 

[innocent75]

I'd mix it up and toss it in the smoker. One of my wife's favorite dishes it smoked Mac and cheese.

 

[grantw]

Cool, I'm going to try it out

 

[m-fine]

Add chopped bacon and jalapeños and cook in a smoker at 225 for a couple of hours.

Actually that is very similar to the recipee I use, except instead of heavy cream, I make a flour and butter roux and add milk and cream cheese to get a thick creamy sauce.

 

[Cabin Fever]

Now you're up to 7 ingredients :wink:

I'd better stop while I'm ahead. Next thing you know this one will have more nonsense in it than the clone recipe I did of Famous Dave's mac and cheese. :redface:

 

[Q Junkie]

I like the basic recipe. I would add green chilies, panko on top and smoke.
But that's just me.

 

[cpw]

Might have to give this one a try tomorrow. I'm gonna fire the smoker up to test out a smoked green beans recipe I found, so what's one more thing to try?

 

[LYU370]

op2:

 

[cpw]

So I made a batch of this yesterday....had a really good taste, but the sauce ended up a little clumpy, like it was broken (even though it was never really "whole"). I don't know what the texture was supposed to be, so I can't say if it was something I did, or some other reason.

 

[4ever3]

I betting the texture you got was right. Those cheeses will not make a creamy sauce, at least that's what we found when making mac n cheese until the Misses found a recipe using American cheese... OH MY !

 

[Grimm5577]

I made a really simple one last night using Cheddar, Parmesan, Provolone, Queso Blanco (Velveta), butter, about 1/2cup heavy cream, and water. The water really helps smooth out the cheese sauce. I then seasoned it with Salt, pepper, and Gochugaru.