Ultimate Pepper Jack Mac & Cheese
This easy homemade mac & cheese recipe is one of the creamiest, cheesiest recipes around! One taste of the kick from the pepper jack cheese, you'll never want to make another mac & cheese again.
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Servings: 5 people
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 stick butter
- 2 ¼ cups half & half
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups hand grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cups hand grated pepper jack cheese
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsely
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon each salt & pepper
Instructions
- Turn oven on broil and spray 2-3 quart casserole dish with non stick cooking spray.
- Add pasta to boiling water and cook for 6 minutes. Drain. Return to pot and add butter. When butter melts, stir to coat pasta.
- While water is coming to a boil and pasta is cooking, shred cheeses. In a separate pot, over low heat, add half & half and beaten egg. Whisk together immediately. Add cream cheese whisk while melting.
- Add 1 C each of cheddar & pepper jack cheeses to the cream cheese mixture. Whisk until melted. Add herbs and spices. Whisk until smooth.
- Add pasta to cheese sauce. Stir until all the pasta is coated. Spoon half of the pasta into casserole dish. Top with ½ of the leftover grated cheeses. Spoon in the rest of the pasta and cheese sauce and top with the remaining grated cheeses. Top with a pinch of additional parsley and red pepper for color, if desired.
- Place under broiler just long enough to melt the grated cheese, 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and serve!