Pimento Macaroni and Cheese
Pimento Macaroni and Cheese is an easy skillet mac with the flavors of pimento cheese. If you're a pimento cheese lover, it'll be your new favorite dinner!
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
- a 10 inch cast iron skillet (or comparable sized baking dish)
Ingredients
- 10 ounces cavatappi pasta (or elbows, or rotini)
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup cream
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (yellow or white is fine) shredded
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pimentos (I used a 5 ounce jar of whole pimentos)
crumb topping
- 1/2 cup Ritz cracker crumbs (process them in a food processor or crush them in a baggie with a rolling pin)
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F and lightly butter a 10 inch cast iron skillet.
- Cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan and whisk in the flour, paprika, and salt. Cook for a couple of minutes over medium heat, whisking constantly.
- While whisking, add the milk and cream slowly to avoid lumps. Whisk or stir with a silicone spoonula until all the milk and cream are incorporated. Keep cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture ALMOST comes to a boil, and thickens. Do not let it boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat (this is important) and let it cool for a minute or two.
- Add the shredded cheese to the pot, stirring until the cheese has completely melted. This may take a few minutes. If necessary you can put the pot back on the stove to gently heat until the cheese melts.
- Stir in the pimentos and cooked pasta and turn into your buttered skillet.
- Mix the cracker crumbs with the melted butter until the crumbs are evenly saturated.
- Top with the crumb mixture, and bake for about 25 minutes, or until bubbling and golden.