My mac and cheese with spaghetti surpasses all expectations, y'all! A pound of cooked pasta, covered with a velvety homemade cheddar and Pepper Jack cheese sauce, then baked til browned and bubbly yum-deliciousness. Cooled for a bit to touch your palate with an instantaneous creaminess and zingy backbite that separates it from all others you've ever had. Yep and yay...
Sometimes You Just Have to Turn the Comfort Level Alllllll the Way Up. Yep.
Do y'all ever have a craving that creeps up unexpectedly? Then grows stronger and stronger until you're straight beside yourself salivating over it?
Well, the other day I had one of those cravings for mac and cheese with spaghetti. It's been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. So, we usually have it about once a month so I can get my cheesy fix on.
I had the dried spaghetti on hand. And, my quick peep into the fridge revealed a pound of cheddar cheese and a half pound of Pepper Jack. Since I was cooking for just Mark and me, I thought that the little extra pepper Jack kick might be just what we needed. A little creamy familiar mixed with a little more zinginess than I usually put into the dish.
So, I Got Super Busy in the Kitchen
So, I made the super creamy baked spaghetti mac and cheese, and let it cool a bit. Then, I took pictures of it as fast as I could, so Mark and I could get down to the business of emotional eating. I knew that we were going to like it. But, I had absolutely no idea how over-the-top luscious the first bite was going to be. And, then how a Pepper Jack backbite would emerge out of the blue. One that would literally engulf our tongues in a back-to-front spice wave that neither of us had ever experienced before.
And, I don't think I've ever said this before either, but this super creamy gluten free baked spaghetti with cheese is an adults-only dish, y'all. It's not overly spicy. However, the Pepper Jack finish is sooo present and profound that I think I need to tell this one like it is! This is not a dish for kids. But for adults who love a little spicy finish to their food, and want to dive into a beloved childhood dish with a grown-up twist. Yep.
How to Make Mac and Cheese with Spaghetti
Start by boiling your GF noodles to the package directions. Drain and set aside in a well-greased 12-inch cast iron skillet. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Then, melt the butter with the cassava flour in a saucepan:
Stir constantly until a blond roux is achieved:
Add a cup of milk and half of the cheddar cheese to the saucepan:
Then, add more milk and the Pepper Jack cheese:
Then, add more milk and the rest of the cheddar to the mixture:
Top with seasonings:
And, stir until the mixture is well-combined, and most of the cheese has melted into the milk:
Grab the skillet filled with the cooked gluten free spaghetti:
And pour the super creamy cheese sauce on top. Then, stir it into the noodles, and wipe any rim residue off, if necessary:
And then bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the super creamy gluten free baked mac and cheese with spaghetti is browned and bubbly on top.
And that's it, y'all!! But, do let it for a bit, because this massive, 8-person dish is going to steam for at least 20 minutes after you take it out of the oven.
And then dig in, because it's all the comfort food you need to indulge yourself with this grown-up, super delicious cheesy casserole. This is definitely going on the menu for our next adult-only get-together, y'all. And, I've already frozen a few portions to thaw and re-bake in the very near future.
Share this super creamy mac and cheese with spaghetti with those that you're fortunate enough to have near and dear around your dinner table. Much love, and see y'all on the yum side...
Mac and Cheese with Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound gluten free spaghetti noodles
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon cassava flour
- 3 cups milk, separated into thirds
- 16 ounces gluten free shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 ounced gluten free shredded Pepper Jack cheese
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon gluten free hot sauce
- salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the gluten free spaghetti noodles to al dente following the package directions.
- Drain and set aside.
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place a small saucepan over medium heat atop the stove.
- Heat the butter until melted, then stir in the cassava flour.
- Cook for about 1 additional minute, stirring constantly, until a bubbling blond roux is achieved.
- Pour 1 cup of milk and 8 ounces of the sharp cheddar cheese into the saucepan.
- When the cheese is about halfway melted into the milk, add another cup of milk and the Pepper Jack cheese.
- When that melts, add the remaining milk and cheddar cheese. Top the sauce with the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried parsley flakes, GF hot sauce, and salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Stir until the herbs and spices are well-combined into the sauce, then stir the contents often until the cheese has completed melted into the milk.
- Position the cooked GF spaghetti around the bottom of the skillet. (I had to use my hands a little.)
- Pour the cheese sauce over the spaghetti. Stir until very well-combined. Wipe the edges of the skillet clean, if necessary.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.
- Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving. Be careful, it's going to be super hot and still bubbling for at least 15 minutes after removal from the oven.
Notes
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