Tillamook Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Tillamook Macaroni and Cheese … with a hint of southern spice!
Tillamook Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese is the most scrumptious southern macaroni and cheese recipe with a hint of spice, crunchy crushed garlic croutons, and melt-in-your-mouth Tillamook cheeses!
What do you need to make Tillamook Southern Macaroni and Cheese?
Here’s what you’ll need from the grocery store:
- Macaroni shells, 1 16-ounce box
- Tillamook Cheddar Blend, shredded farm style – 2 cups
- Tillamook White Sharp Cheddar, shredded farm style – 1 cup
- Fresh parmesan, 1/2 cup – grated cheese
- Whole milk, 3 cups milk
- Unsalted butter, 1/2 cup butter (for the roux)
- All purpose flour, 6 tablespoons flour
- Garlic flavored croutons, 1/2 cup crushed croutons
- Unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon butter (for the croutons)
- Paprika, 1/2 teaspoon
- Red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon
- Kosher salt & black pepper, season to taste
Optional topping:
- Dried parsley, 1/2 teaspoon
- Paprika, 1/2 teaspoon
How to make this easy homemade macaroni and cheese recipe …
Preheat your oven to 350° F and prepare a 9×13 inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Drop the croutons in a plastic ziplock bag and smash them into large chunks.
Cook the macaroni shells according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta water from the pot then set the noodles aside.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour slowly to make a roux. Add the milk slowly while stirring continuously. Mix in the cheese, then add in the red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to a nice simmer and continue stirring until all of the cheese has thoroughly melted and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Taste test the sauce and add additional seasonings to your liking.
Spoon the cooked macaroni into the prepared casserole dish. Pour cheese sauce over the top and stir well.
Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle in the croutons and stir to brown and coat with the melted butter. Top this southern-style macaroni and cheese with the browned croutons and then dust the top with paprika.
Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with dried (or fresh) parsley and paprika over the top and serve hot.
Here are a few more super cheesy recipes you may like …
- Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Sweet & Spicy Tamale Casserole
- Coogan’s Lasagna
- Hearty Lasagna Soup
Looking for more tasty and easy recipes? Try a few here:
- Italian Chicken and Acorn Squash Couscous
- Chicken & Pork Crostina Pasta
- Creamy Beef and Potatoes
- Wild Rice Chicken Casserole – (Easy Recipe)
- Meat and Potato Timballo Pie
Tillamook Southern Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Equipment
- Casserole dish or baking dish, 9×13-inch
- Large saucepan
- Strainer
- Cooking spray
Ingredients
- 1 16-oz box macaroni shells
- 2 cups Tillamook Cheddar Blend , shredded farm style
- 1 cup Tillamook White Sharp Cheddar , shredded farm style
- ½ cup fresh parmesan , grated
- 3 cups whole milk
- ½ cup unsalted butter , (for the roux)
- 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ cup crushed garlic-flavored croutons
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter , (for the croutons)
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes , or ground chili peppers
- salt + pepper , to taste
Optional Topping
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9×13-in casserole dish with baking spray. Place the croutons in a plastic ziplock bag and smash into large chunks.
- Cook the macaroni shells according to the package instructions. Drain; set aside.
- In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour slowly to make a roux. Add the milk slowly but stir continuously. Mix in the cheese. Add red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue stirring until all of the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened slightly. Taste test the sauce and add additional seasonings as needed.
- Spoon the cooked macaroni into the prepared casserole dish; pour cheese sauce over the top and stir well.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle in the croutons and stir to brown. Top the macaroni and cheese with the browned croutons and then dust the top with paprika.
- Bake for 30 minutes; sprinkle parsley and paprika over the top and serve hot.
Notes
© Coogan’s Kitchen. All content and images are copyright protected. Sharing the link for this recipe is encouraged and greatly appreciated, however copying and/or posting full recipes to any social media/blog/website without full credit and the appropriate link is prohibited. Thank you so much for understanding!
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