pat's Recipe

Beechers Worlds Best Mac & Cheese

Category: Mac n cheese

Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
7 ounces Beechers Flagship cheese, grated (about 1 3/4 cups)
1 ounce Beechers Just Jack cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Pasta
6 ounces penne pasta (about 3 1/4 cups)
1 ounce (1/4 cup) Beechers Flagship cheese, grated
1 ounce (1/4 cup) Beechers Just Jack cheese, grated
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Instructions
1. To prepare sauce, melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add flour. Cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes.
2. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Cook until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
3. Add cheese, salt, chili powder and garlic powder. Stir until cheese melts, about 3 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350F.
5. To prepare pasta, cook pasta 2 minutes less than package directions. (It will finish cooking in the oven.) Rinse pasta in cold water and drain well.
6. Combine pasta and sauce in a medium bowl; mix thoroughly. (The mixture will seem soupy, but some of the liquid will be absorbed during baking.) Transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle top with cheese and chili powder.
7. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

If you cant find Beechers cheese locally, use an aged sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese. This recipe can be made ahead and frozen; use a freezer-to-oven-safe pan and increase the baking time to 50 minutes.