Rebecca Nielsen's Recipe

Pub Cheese Beefy Mac

Category: Casseroles

Serves/Makes: 6
Difficulty: 2
Prep/Cook Time: 60 to 75 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb box penne or elbow noodles, boiled 7 minutes and drained
1 T kosher salt
1 pound ground beef
1 t Paula Deen House Seasoning (or 1/2 t garlic salt, 1/4 t black pepper, 1/2 t kosher salt)
1/4 t red chili flakes
3 cups milk
6 tablespoons butter
6 T all purpose flour
1 tub (8oz) Pub Cheddar Cheese with Horseradish (found in the prepared foods in the Deli area of your supermarket)
2 cups Fontina cheese, shredded (or Monteray Jack)
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t black pepper
2 packed T freshly chopped Basil
1 T freshly chopped oregano
1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs
4 T melted butter
1/4 t kosher salt

Preparation:

In a medium skillet brown ground beef. Drain and add house seasoning and chili flakes and set aside.

In a large sauce pan combine milk, 6 T butter and the flour. Over medium heat stir with whisk until sauce thickens, about 4 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in Pub cheese and grated cheese. Taste and add salt to taste. Make sure you don't add any salt before you add your cheese as different cheeses have different salt content. Stir in 1 T chopped basil and the oregano.

In a large mixing bowl combine noodles, meat and cheese sauce. Put in a buttered 9 x 13 glass baking dish.

In a small bowl combine Panko, melted butter, 1 T chopped basil and 1/4 t salt. Spread over top of noodle mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 - 30 minutes or until top in browned and casserole is hot in middle.

Cooks Notes - I love this Pub Cheese with Horseradish on crackers and thought it would be interesting in a mac and cheese. It makes the dish very creamy. This is also a great make ahead dish. I prepare it up to, but not including the topping and refrigerate covered with foil. It can also be frozen at this point.

If you freeze it make sure it is thawed out before cooking. If it is going from the fridge to the oven add an additional 15 - 20 minutes to the baking time.

It is very important to season every step of a dish like this. I wrote the ingredient list with separate salt and seasoning amounts so you would remember to do so. However, always taste each step and adjust to your taste.