Macaroni & Cheese Recipes

Ingredients

5 tablespoons Tillamook® Butter
5 tablespoons flour
2- 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon seafood seasoning
10 oz good quality Parmesan cheese (about 2.5 cups), grated
1 lb macaroni
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
8 oz Tillamook® Swiss Cheese, shredded
8 oz Tillamook® Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
8 oz Havarti cheese, grated
4 oz cream cheese, cut into small cubes
12 oz fresh cooked crab meat, picked over to remove all shells
2/3 cup fresh or panko (Japanese style) bread crumbs
1/8 cup parsley

Preparation

Boil water and cook pasta until al dente (slightly undercooked). Try to do this step while the sauce is cooking below. Drain and return to the pot. If pasta is done before sauce, cover pot and keep warm.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the milk very slowly to avoid lumps. Cook until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, season with the salt, pepper, hot sauce, minced garlic, nutmeg, seafood seasoning and 5 oz of the grated Parmesan. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Add the sauce to the pasta and stir until well combined. Cover and set aside.

In a large bowl combine 5 oz Parmesan cheese and all the other grated cheeses. Toss to combine.

Place 1/3 of the macaroni & sauce in a 13 X 9 baking dish or casserole. Top with 1/3 of the mixed cheeses, 1/2 of the cream cheese cubes and 1/2 of the crab meat. Top with another 1/3 of macaroni, 1/3 of mixed cheeses, remaining cream cheese and remaining crab. Top with last 1/3 of macaroni and mixed cheeses, ending with a cheese layer.

In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs and parsley. Toss to combine. Sprinkle topping evenly over the top of the macaroni and cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the macaroni and cheese is bubbly and hot and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.