As a bit of a picky eater, I always hated potlucks. I never knew what type of…interesting…foods were going to be set out ahead of me, so there was always so much joy and relief when I would see a delicious Mac and cheese on the buffet.
This particular recipe came from a friend who would bring it to potlucks or for a meal train, and it was so beloved by my family, it became a staple in our house.
I tweaked it a bit to fit our tastes, but this is still one we have on a regular basis!
The main thing- and I cannot stress this enough!- is that the cheese is the star. It needs to be a good cheese that is shredded off the block at home.
I really prefer the Tillamook brand because it shreds and melts really nicely.
This is a great place to get creative or just use up whatever you have! A good melty cheese like Colby or Monterey Jack works great, but if you have a sharp cheddar and a mozzarella, that works great too!
We really do love this plain, but adding in some garlic and onion powder or seasoned salt would also be lovely.
You may notice I didn’t add anything like breadcrumbs to the top. I do that on purpose because when the pan comes out of the oven, it’s so creamy and delicious if I immediately give it all a nice quick stir. The cream and the cheese melt together to make a lovely sauce, and the browned cheese bits get mixed in to add that flavor depth throughout the dish!
Church Mac And Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb macaroni or shells
- 1 lb Colby jack cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook your pasta according to package instructions.
- As your pasta is cooking, shred the cheese. It is important this cheese is shredded at home. The shredded cheese from the store will not be as creamy.
- Spray 9×13 pan to avoid sticking
- Once pasta has cooked, drain and add salt and pepper and butter. Stir until combined and butter has melted.
- In your baking dish, layer pasta mixture, half of the cream, then half of the cheese.
- Repeat layers a second time.
- Cook uncovered in a 350 degree preheated oven until cheese on top has melted and started to slightly brown.
- Serve hot.
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