Double Comfort Macaroni and Cheese

Submitted by Eric M.

"This family favorite takes everyone's favorite comfort dish, Macaroni and Cheese, and combines it with another favorite comfort dish - STUFFING! It is perfect for any Holiday or Dinner Gathering. I created this dish one year when I had excess stuffing and decided it would make a better topping to my Mac 'n' Cheese than the standard bread crumb topping. This mashup has become one of the most requested dishes ever since. The following recipe is a an easy to make suggestion. However, this dish changes at will whenever I make it. Cornbread Dressing with Barbecue, Sage Dressing with Chicken, or Sausage and Cranberry Dressing with a delicious Shoulder roast, and so on. Feel free to make it your own, and I hope you enjoy it very much. - P. S. Definitely not a 'diet' dish. ��"

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 12

ingredients

• 1 lb macaroni, of choice
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons mustard powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 5 cups milk (room temperature)
• 8 ounces monterey jack cheese (shredded)
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (Shredded)
• 1 (6 ounce) boxes seasoned stuffing mix or (12 ounce) bag seasoned stuffing mix

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In first large pot bring salted water to boil and make pasta Al Dente.
3. In second pot prepare stuffing per package directions (or your own recipe). You may use as much stuffing as you wish. The recipe suggestions make for full coverage using a standard 9 X 13 Deep pan.
4. After pasta is done, drain, reserving one mugful of pasta water, and leave pasta in colander.
5. Over medium-low heat, in the same pan you made the pasta in, start making a Roux by melting butter.
6. Gradually add the flour a little at a time to melted butter. When all added cook until thoroughly blended and it starts to thicken.
7. Mix the spices into the Roux.
8. Start whisking your milk, little by little, into the Roux until it gets warm and thickens. Milk should be at room temperature before adding.
9. Now start adding your cheeses into Roux by the handful, ensuring it melts as you mix it inches.
10. Now take your pasta and add it back to your cheese mixture and blend thoroughly until well cover and creamy. Heat through. If it gets too thick, you may use the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen it up.
11. Place the cheese pasta mix into a 9 X 13 pan, spreading out evenly. For easy clean up, Aluminum pans work great for this but you do want one that is over 2" deep. However, feel free to use any available deep Casserole or Dutch Oven pan you have.
12. Take your cooked stuffing and completely cover the Macaroni and Cheese.
13. Take the heated pasta and stuffing dish and place it in the preheated oven. Bake uncovered for about 15-25 minutes depending on your oven. Because of the high moisture content of stuffing it will not necessarily become very toasted. You are simply looking for it to brown a little, and for everything to heat through. You can also do this on a 'Low' broiler setting if you have that type of oven (not recommended for drawer broilers), just watch it to prevent burning.
14. If you are making your own recipe version of this and are preparing a Macaroni and Cheese that requires baking, then bake it covered and then remove the cover during the last 10-15 minutes to brown the topping.
15. This can easily serve up to 10-12 people. This can also be made ahead, refrigerated and then reheated or baked using the instruction above. I do not know if it freezes well. Have never done that.
16. You can use any stuffing and Mac 'n' Cheese recipe, or cheeses, or spices you choose. This is just a starting point. Make it your own family classic. Use less stuffing, or more, add hot sauces or vegetables. To each his own, but I do hope you will give it a try.
17. TIP: For the milk, you can substitute any dairy of your choice, including cream, half and half, Fat Free Evaporated Milk, regular Evaporated milk. I do not recommend Skim Milk.
18. SERVE and ENJOY!