Kissable Recipe: Cheesy Mac & Cheese Casserole

Mac & Cheese can come out of a box, but you have not had a real Mac & Cheese until you have tasted it made in a good-old-fashioned American cook’s kitchen.

There are so many variations of this recipe. Mine is one that I created years ago and perfected over time. I later made some adjustments and adaptations to be able to make it easily in Egypt. All ingredients are easy to find in Egypt and in most countries around the world.

Every time I make this casserole, folks go crazy all over it! I always end up with everyone asking me for the recipe. The cheese sauce ends up at a consistency that keeps it from lumping, drying, or sticking together when it cools. It’s a crowd pleaser and easy to make in large quantities for groups of friends.

I personally make this recipe with a few pork products, but they can easily be replaced with their beef counterparts. You can also eliminate the meat all together for a vegetarian (not vegan) option. I also make it spicy with jalapeno peppers, which can be ignored if you prefer a mild flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 400gm pack of macaroni

• “Aah Bisto!” Cheese Sauce granules

• ½ Litre Cooking Cream

• 50gm Sliced Cheddar Cheese

• 50gm Sliced Gouda Cheese

• 25gm Grated Roomy Cheese

• 50gm Grated mozzerella

• 50gm Grated Cheddar (+25gm for garnishing)

• 4 Slices Sliced burger cheese (Cheddar)

• 3 Tbsp Cream Cheese

• 100gm Sliced Bacon (beef, turkey, other)

• 100gm Deli / Smoked Turkey

• 100gm Pepperoni / Salami (beef, chicken, other)

• 75gm Assorted Cold Cuts (chopped)

• 50gm - 100gm Jalapeno Peppers

• Grated parmesan

• 1 Bouillon Cube (Chicken)

• Olive oil

• Garlic powder

• Turmeric

• Dried Parsley

• Paprika

• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Fill a medium-sized pot with water and place on the stove. Add a few drops of olive oil, 1 chicken bouillon cube, and 1 tsp of sea salt. Bring water to a boil then add macaroni.

2. Cook for 7 minutes (or as instructed on the package) then strain. Put under running water for 10 seconds then return to pot with 50ml of hot water and set aside. Do not rinse. Add 3 - 4 tsps of “Aah Bisto!” Cheese Sauce granules and mix well.

3. In a large pot, measure 12 tsp of “Aah Bisto!” Cheese Sauce granules. Add 600ml of boiling water and stir continuously until the granules dissolve.

4. Add all cheese (except the parmesan and garnishing grated cheddar), ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, ¼ tsp paprika, and ¼ tsp turmeric. Add 400ml cooking cream and stir continuously on low heat.

5. In a large pan, spray Pam or Costco cooking spray and place on medium heat. Add all cold cuts, 1 tsp butter, a pinch of salt, a pinch of paprika, ¼ tsp of garlic powder, ¼ tsp of dried parsley, and let simmer. The cold cuts, and especially the bacon, will leave enough grease for all of them to cook nicely. Add 100ml of cooking cream and let simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Chop the jalapeno pepper slices very finely and add to the cheese sauce as it simmers, stirring frequently.

7. Set aside 2 cups of the cheese sauce after all the cheese has melted. Leave the rest of the cheese in the pot and add the macaroni and cold cuts, mixing well with the sauce.

8. Arrange in a ceramic or Pyrex oven dish, leaving 1 cm at the top.

9. Top with the remaining sauce, distributing it evenly. Garnish with grated parmesan and cheddar. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley and place in the oven at medium heat for 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Tips

Let the casserole settle for 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven before you start serving it.

Stay tuned for this recipe’s walk-through video, coming soon to the Kissable Cook YouTube channel.

Xoxo

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