Baked Sriracha Mac n’ Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese is delicious and that’s just a fact. It’s great for any meal of the day, hot or cold, fresh or as leftovers, but there’s no doubt making it from scratch and baking it is one if the best ways. So here I am, just sharing my version of Baked Sriracha Mac n’ Cheese with a creamy, mild cheese sauce and just a kick of sriracha, it’s the perfect dish to whip up for a weekend dinner. Now, let’s get started with the recipe, shall we?

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried macaroni
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 egg, whisked
• 3 cups milk
• 1 pound cheddar cheese, grated (reserve ~1/2 cup for topping)
• 1-2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
• 1 tablespoon Nature’s Promise Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
• 1.5 cups seasoned breadcrumbs

Directions:

As you might assume a Baked Mac n’ cheese is baked so you have to do what all good bakers do, preheat your oven to 350F, and guess what? You would be correct in this assumption! Round of applause, pat on the back, we are doing our best. Once you have set your oven to preheat you can cook your pasta. I used Elbow macaroni, but if you prefer something else go for it—I can’t make your pasta decisions for you. Elbow macaroni does hold cheese very well though and that’s all I will say on the matter. Cook the pasta until still firm so a few minutes less than recommended on your box. Then drain and set it aside.

In a small bowl whisk your egg and set that aside. Heat up a large pot on medium heat and melt your butter then sprinkle in the flour. Start to whisk your butter and flour immediately helping the flour cook. Once it starts bubbling and turns slightly brown, in about 2-3 minutes, add in your milk.

Continue whisking milk and roux mixture on medium-low heat until it starts to thicken, about 5-10 minutes, then add salt. Once thick take a 1/4 cup of sauce and slowly add into whisked egg. Add slowly so as not to cook the egg. This will temper the egg. Once mixture is fully incorporated, whisk this egg mixture into sauce on stove. Continue to whisk to combine egg mixture with sauce.

At this point you have a pretty convincing sauce but it doesn’t have cheese! Freshly grated is something else so I recommend using it. You can use whatever cheese you like, maybe cheddar or jack, strong or mild—up to you! At this point you can add your grated cheese and allow it to melt in sauce. Add in the mustard, sriracha, black pepper, and more salt to taste. Make sure you taste it so the salt is to your liking! You don’t want it underseasoned!

Finally, the macaroni can go in! Simply fold the macaroni into the cheese sauce and guess what? You could definitely eat it like this while it’s fresh and creamy and it’s quite delicious, but I like to bake for something extra special.

Tip your creamy macaroni and cheese mixture into a deep 8×8 or 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese reserved for topping and then cover with seasoned breadcrumbs. Bake it on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes until light golden brown. To finish it off broil on high for 2-3 minutes until cheese is bubbled and breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Now, it’s done and don’t forget to enjoy! Just let it rest for a few minutes before digging in because it will be quite hot.

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