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ben's fancy mac n cheese

Jammeez avatar
Recipe by
Jane Manookin
@Jammeez
Salina, KS

My son LOVES Mac n Cheese, as do I. I won't buy him the boxed kind any more, but will make "fancy". I vary the recipe, add-ins, and toppings, but when I made it last night, it was fantastic! So, I figured I'd better get it written down. Note: measurements are approximate.

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yield 9 x13 baking dish
prep time 10 Min
cook time 35 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For ben's fancy mac n cheese

  • 3 c
    dry elbow noodles
  • 8 oz
    softened cream cheese or neufchatel
  • 4 Tbsp
    (1/2 stick) softened butter or margarine
  • 2 can
    cream soup (i use 1 chicken and 1 mushroom)
  • 1/4 c
    evaporated milk
  • 1/4 c
    sour cream or plain yogurt
  • 1 tsp
    black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp
    garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp
    onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp
    dry mustard
  • 2 c
    grated cheese (i use cojack)
  • 1 c
    liquid (plain milk, pasta water, chicken/veggie stock, etc)
  • optional mix-ins
  • 1/4 c
    panko bread crumbs

How To Make ben's fancy mac n cheese

  • 1
    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta, and stir. Cook until about half done, and drain.
  • 2
    While pasta cooks, mix softened cream cheese and butter in an extra large bowl until smooth. Mix in cream soups, sour cream, milk, and seasonings. hint: mix dry seasonings together before adding. This will break up the dry mustard which tends to clump.
  • 3
    incorporate grated cheese and chosen optional mix-ins.
  • 4
    Fold all of the half-cooked pasta into cheese mixture, along with enough liquid to keep mixture loose. You should be able to pour it smoothly into your baking dish. (Although it shouldn't be too runny, either. You should only have to smooth it out a little into the corners of your pan.)
  • 5
    Bake at 400 degrees F for about 30 mins, or until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with panko. Return to oven and broil 5 mins or less, until golden. Keep a close eye to prevent burning.
  • 6
    Suggested optional mix-ins: add a can of cut green beans or other favorite veggies, including juice and omitting additional liquid. Add chopped cooked meat, such as chicken, pepperoni, or ham. Add chopped fresh spinach or steamed broccoli. Add sauted onions and peppers. Substitute different seasonings. Add green chiles or jalapenos.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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