Baked Mac N’ Cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350ºF and grab your 12 inch cast iron. Alternatively, you can grease a 9×13 inch glass baking dish or enameled cast iron. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add dried pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package directs for al dente (for elbow noodles this should be 6 min). Drain and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to keep from sticking.
• While you’re bringing that pasta to a boil, prepare your cheeses. You’ll need the super sharp and sharp for the sauce and the Mexican blend for the top.
• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. Get this mixture looking smooth and cook for approximately 1 minute, whisking often. Slowly pour in about half of the milk, while whisking constantly, until smooth. Slowly pour in the remaining milk while whisking constantly, until combined and smooth.
• Continue to heat over MEDIUM heat, whisking very often, start adding the super sharp and sharp cheeses. Whisk until the cheese melts to create a smooth and thick sauce. Add spices and whisk to combine.
• Remove from the heat and combine with the macaroni in a large mixing bowl.
• Transfer this mixture to your cast iron and top with the remaining cheese.
• Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and lightly golden brown.