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It had to be done. Had to.
Last week I was talking to a friend; Ramadan was about to end, and she and I were discussing food. (Because really, during Ramadan sometimes food is the only thing you can think of.) So, anyway, I told her Ramadan was ending in a couple days and she said I should enjoy my favorite foods for a week straight. (See how awesome she is? Truly a girl after my own heart.) She said if she were me, she’d be making mac and cheese.
I had to laugh; she completely read my mind. Not 10 minutes earlier I had texted Mike, asking him to stop at Wegmans to pick up a box of pasta on his way home. I asked him for elbow noodles by name and the stars must have all been aligned because he actually knew what they were (unthinkable, really).
See what I mean? I had to make mac and cheese.
One of the nice things about this dish is that it only has 1/2 lb of pasta and it serves 4 people generously (promise!). As far as mac and cheese goes, you can make this as healthy as you want. Be sure to choose your pasta wisely; I used Dreamfields this time because that’s what Mike brought home, but whole wheat is my usual choice. You could even use gluten-free if you like. To increase your veggie intake, serve this with a green salad…or add your greens right to the dish! I think a sturdy green (like kale) would be delicious in here; just cook it up separately and add it at the end when you add the pasta.
I used sharp white cheddar as the main cheese in this (along with a little bit of cream cheese for a creamier consistency) because I love the flavor of sharp white cheddar in mac and cheese. You can play around with any cheese you like. Mozzarella might be fun to make it even more pizza-like.
Play around with the toppings too; I like this dish with a little fresh grated parmesan cheese on top, but fresh herbs (like basil or parsley) would also be great. And if you want to bake this mac and cheese, once it’s made, put it in an oven-safe casserole dish, sprinkle the top with a little shredded cheese or breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil, and broil until the top is golden.
For a super cute presentation, make it look like a pizza. Pour the mac and cheese into an oven-safe dish, sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top, line it with pepperoni (try turkey pepperoni – it’s so delicious you won’t realize it’s healthier), and then broil it.
Any other ideas for Pizza Mac & Cheese?
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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I found this on pinterest and made tonight…it’s delicious! I am not a fan of white cheddar so I used 4oz of sharp (regular?) cheddar that was leftover.
Making this tonight! Can’t wait =).
Lauren, That’s awesome!! Hope you enjoy it! :)
It was great! My husband LOVED it =).
That’s awesome, you totally made my day! :)
Great idea to combine Americas two favourite comfort foods. Im not much for mac and cheese but my son would LOVE it
So true…during Ramadan you constantly think about food. My cousin and I used to email back and forth about all the things we wanted to eat :)
Love mac and cheese and will definitely have to give this a try!
Wishing you and your family a belated Eid Mubarak!
Very cool idea! I think making it look like a pizza with the pepperonis would be fun-I should do that for my nephew next time he spends the night. Two kid foods in one, but healthier!
this is a really great idea, and i’m a little surprised i haven’t come across it before! lovely, faith!
An ultimate comfort food!
You had me at “mac and cheese”…I love any variation of it! This looks delicious!
Pizza is comfort food. Mac and Cheese is comfort food. Double comfort on this one. I would love it.
What a fun mac & cheese recipe – my kids would love this.
Oh my goodness, yum! That looks great :D
Love this Faith!!! And I have been craving mac n’ cheese since our conversation. I am one food shopping trip away from making some. I may have to do this because Pizza mac n’ cheese is genius!
That’s a clever idea Faith! My hubby would love this!
Nothing like homemade mac and cheese. Actually in my late teens I used to make a pasta pizza where the crust was corkscrew pasts mixed with egg and cheese and put it on a cookie sheet. Then I added spaghetti sauce on it and topped it like a pizza.
How brilliant. Two of my all-time favorite things in one dish! I just love trying fun and delicious macaroni and cheese varieties. This is going on the list :)
This looks so good, and I know the whole family would love it! I’ll be making this tomm. Thanks!
You had me at pizza! And mac and cheese! :-)
This sounds amazing—I mean, two of the most amazing things on the planet…combined. Thanks for sharing!
I agree with Alyssa!! You deserve a week full of all your favorites. This mac and cheese would definitely be number one on the list for me!
A great idea! That is a scrumptious combination.
Cheers,
Rosa
oh my gah- perfect comfort food! I want to make this when it gets chilly!!