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Pepper Jack Macaroni & Cheese

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Homemade Macaroni & Cheese is one of those great, good old fashioned comfort foods.  It’s a simple, cozy meal that makes everyone in our house happy.  My family loves Macaroni & Cheese, but sometimes I like to spice things up a bit for dinner! I love spicy cheese, and this Pepper Jack Macaroni & Cheese has just the right amount of heat.  The Pepper Jack Cheese is blended with a little  Sharp Cheddar Cheese ( you can add a little more of the Cheddar in place of the whole amount of Pepper Jack, just in case you want to make it a little milder) and then it’s whisked together with milk and sour cream to make a thick, delicious cheese sauce.

Creamy Pepper Jack Macaroni & Cheese

It’s then stirred into cooked macaroni, topped with a more Pepper Jack Cheese and baked in the oven until it’s slightly browned and bubbly.  This macaroni is perfect served as a main course with a steamed vegetable or as a side dish with meatloaf, grilled chicken or even burgers.  The best part about this Macaroni & Cheese- you guessed it… it’s freezer friendly!  You can double this recipe, bake one and save the other for a busy day.  When the weather is cold, warm your family up with this tasty dish!

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Pepper Jack Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients

  • 3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
  • 6 Tbsp. butter
  • 4 Tbsp. flour
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. - 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 1/2 cups 2 % milk
  • 3 cups shredded Pepper Jack Cheese, divided
  • 1 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Instructions

  1. Cook macaroni until al dente, drain, and set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  3. In a large pan, under medium heat, melt the butter and add garlic powder.
  4. Add the flour, salt and pepper, and whisk until smooth for about a minute.
  5. Stir in milk and sour cream while whisking until thick.
  6. Stir in the cheeses (reserving 1/2 cup of Cheddar Jack Cheese) until melted.
  7. Add the macaroni and mix well.
  8. Pour into a casserole dish, sprinkle with the reserved 1/2 cup of Cheddar Jack Cheese and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.
  9. Serve hot.
  10. Serves 6.
  11. *To freeze- prepare as usual, but do not bake. Cool, cover and freeze in a freezer and oven safe container. When ready to eat, move to the refrigerator overnight to defrost, and bake as usual in the evening.
  12. Enjoy!
https://www.cozycountryliving.com/pepper-jack-macaroni-cheese/

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Comments

  1. Brenda says

    Thank you so much for this recipe…..it is delicious! I doubt that I’ll ever make classic mac and cheese again!

  2. Leanne says

    I made this and loved it, but i really wantd to see if there’s a,way to lighten it up for next time. Do you think itd work to substitute greek yogurt for some or all of the sour cream? Or use less butter?

    • Shannon says

      Hi Leanne! Thank you! 🙂 I have tried this with greek yogurt. It’s good, but slightly changes the texture. Maybe try 1/2 plain greek yogurt and half low fat sour cream? It’s definitely worth a shot though if you are looking to lighten this up a bit.

    • Shannon says

      Hi Alyssa! I usually use unsalted so I can control the amount of salt in the dish better, but if you only have salted, go ahead and use that, just test the recipe before adding any more salt to season it with. Hope this helps. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

  5. Amber says

    Yummmm! Just finished up a second helping 🙂 definitely putting this in the recipe box for future meals.

  6. Jessica says

    Do you think baking at 400 would be a problem (other main dish requires this temp). And for how long at 400 would you recommend?

    • Shannon says

      Hi Jessica! I think it would be fine maybe for 15 minutes. there really isn’t anything to “cook”, you are just baking everything together and getting a nice cheesy topping on it. A little crispy cheese around the edges is kind of good too;) Just keep an eye on it. Enjoy!

  7. Molly says

    So, my mom usually brings mac & cheese to Thanksgiving, but I might just have to give this recipe a try and ask if it can be my turn this year, lol!
    I wanted to say thanks for linking your recipe up to our Lovely Ladies link party, and to let you know I’ve featured them in a great round-up of Thanksgiving sides & appetizers. You can check it out if you’d like- http://bit.ly/18wRyOb
    Thanks so much- Molly from Just a Little Creativity
    Molly recently posted…{15 Delicious Thanksgiving Appetizers, Sides, and Hors d’oeuvres}My Profile

  14. Heather says

    Hi Shannon. Wow! Your Pepper Jack Mac & Cheese looks amazing! Thanks for linking it up to the Sweet Wednesday Link Party! Our family loves mac and cheese too! Hope you’re having a fantastic week.

    Hugs,
    Heather
    MySweetMission.net
    Heather recently posted…Fall Decorated Sugar CookiesMy Profile

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