Homestyle Mac and Cheese

For Valentines day my hubby and I switch off every year on planning the day. When it is my time I usually make a point to cook something for dinner that I know my husband will enjoy! He is a huge fan of southern cooking probably because he was born in South Carolina and grew up eating  lot of southern food. His favorite restaurant of all time is The Golden Corral, I had the pleasure of visiting this restaurant two times a few years ago when we went to visit his mother in North Carolina. This place has everything and I mean everything, It is a place I don't think I would be able to eat very often because my body is not used to all that butter, cheese and fat. Good thing it had a salad bar that I was able to full up on first. One of my hubby's favorite things at The Golden Corral is the Mac and Cheese, I think this is one of his overall favorite foods in general, he was super excited that my cousins fiance brought some to Christmas this year as well. Valentines day was my turn to try to please my hubby with a huge dish of Mac and Cheese in which I also added a few of his other favorite things, Chicken Sausages and Bacon.

MIND YOU WE DO NOT EAT LIKE THIS ON A REGULAR BASIS, I ALSO NEVER COOK WITH BUTTER SO THIS WAS ALL NEW TO ME! :) 

Ingredients:


1 box of Elbow Macaroni Noodles
1 Stick of Unsalted Butter
5 cups Milk
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
3 cups Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
2 1/2 cups Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
4 Chipolte Chicken Sausage links
4 Previously Cooked Bacon Strips cut into small pieces
Salt, Pepper and Chipolte Seasoning to taste

Mac and Cheese Topping

1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter
1 cup Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
Parsley to taste


Step One: Preheat Oven to 400 degrees. Boil water and cook macaroni noodles for about six to seven minutes the noodles should be Undercooked ( al dente)  and set them aside to add to cheese mixture later.

Step Two: Brown Sausage in pan and set aside to add to Macaroni.

Step Three:  Melt stick of butter in pan and then stir in flour to make a paste.

Step Four: After Flour and Butter have cooked whisk in milk and season to taste. The starch from the cooked flour expands in the milk and makes a thick creamy sauce.

Step Five: Mix in Shredded Cheeses into butter and milk mixture: I used Pepper Jack for a kick and Colby Jack Cheese. Mix and then add in the al dente cooked noodles to the Cheesy along with Sausage and Bacon.

Step Six- Pour in the Macaroni into baking dish

Step Seven:  Mix Panko Bread Crumbs with melted butter and Parsley mix together and sprinkle on top of Macaroni top with the remaining cup of Colby Jack Cheese.

Step Eight: Place Mac and Cheese in the Oven, cook for 20-25 min until the bread crumbs on top have browned.

Step Nine: SERVE EAT AND ENJOY!  I added apple and salad on the side to even everything out! :) My hubby however COVERED his plate and didn't have room for any Salad.