Best Pimiento Cheesy Mac Recipes

EASY PIMIENTO CHEESE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine first 5 ingredients. Add cheeses and stir to combine. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour.

PIMIENTO CHEESY MAC

Steps:

• Bring a large sauce pot of water to a boil. Salt the water, add the pasta and cook to al dente.
• Meanwhile, in another sauce pot, melt the butter over medium heat, add the garlic and onions and saute until translucent and fragrant. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute more. Whisk the milk into the sauce and heat until thickened. Season with the paprika, dry mustard and black pepper, to taste. Melt in the cheese. Drain the pasta, and add it to the sauce along with the pimientos. Serve immediately or transfer it to a shallow dish and brown under the hot broiler for a crunchy top.

PIMENTO MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the panko and cook, stirring often, until golden and toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• Melt remaining 8 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeño and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add flour and paprika, stir well, and cook until vegetables are coated, about 1 minute.
• While whisking, carefully stream in the milk until smooth and incorporated. Bring to a simmer while continuing to whisk. Simmer, whisking often, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the Cheddar cheese, cream cheese and pimentos, and stir until the cheese is completely melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add cooked pasta and stir to coat. Transfer to the baking dish and spread evenly. Evenly sprinkle the toasted panko on top. Bake until golden and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then serve.

PIMIENTO MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously brush a 2 1/2-to-3-quart baking dish with butter. Char red pepper over a gas flame on high (or, if you don't have a gas stove, on a rimmed baking sheet directly under the broiler) until blackened all over, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Transfer peppers to a bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let stand 10 minutes. Rub charred skin with a paper towel to remove. Peel, seed, and stem pepper, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Cook macaroni in a pot of generously salted boiling water until al dente, about 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain well; transfer to prepared baking dish. Mix in cubed cheese and 1/2 cup roasted red pepper (reserve remainder for another use).
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, mustard, cayenne, and nutmeg. Whisk in sour cream and eggs until smooth, then onion, half and half, cream, and Worcestershire until thoroughly combined. Pour over macaroni mixture; gently shake dish to blend. Sprinkle grated cheese evenly over top.
• Bake until set around edges but still loose in center, 25 to 30 minutes (do not overbake; mixture will continue setting as it cools). Let cool on a wire rack until set but still warm, 10 to 20 minutes. Serve.

PIMENTO MAC & CHEESE CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Fill a large pot with the water and add 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, add the macaroni, and cook for about 5 minutes, until just shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the white and aged Cheddars and the Parmesan. Remove and reserve one-fourth of the cheese mix for the top. To the bowl with the rest of the cheese mix, add the macaroni, pimentos, and flour and mix well to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until blended, then whisk in the hot sauce, evaporated milk, half-and-half, and 2 teaspoons salt, mixing well. While whisking constantly, slowly add the béchamel to create a custard. Pour the custard evenly over the noodle mixture.
• Cover with a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes, rotating the dish 180 degrees halfway through baking. Uncover the dish. If you plan to eat the mac and cheese right away, sprinkle the reserved cheese on top. If you plan to freeze the dish, do not add the cheese. Continue to bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until set, golden, and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
• TO FREEZE: Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until well chilled. Wrap the baking dish in two layers of plastic wrap, label and date, and freeze for up to 3 months.
• TO THAW: You can reheat this dish from frozen, or you can pull it out of the freezer and thaw it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 24 hours.
• TO REHEAT: If reheating from frozen, unwrap the dish, place in a cold oven, and set the oven to 350°F. When the oven reaches temperature, bake for 1½ hours, then sprinkle the surface with the remaining cheese mix and bake for 15 minutes longer, until bubbling. If reheating after thawing, cut the cook time to 30 to 45 minutes.