Recipe: Pizza Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Kaitlin Hettersheidt

Pizza Mac ‘n’ Cheese

By Managing Editor
January 26, 2015

INGREDIENTS

2 cups elbow macaroni
2 cups half-and-half
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1/4 cup cream cheese
8 ounces sharp shredded cheddar cheese 

3 ounces shredded mozzarella 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, to taste
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
3 ounces pepperoni slices
1 cup water 

INSTRUCTIONS 

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

  2. Boil macaroni until al dente, strain when done.

  3. In a saucepan, combine half-and-half, oregano and crushed red

    pepper and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

  4. Add cream cheese to the mixture and stir until smooth.

  5. Mix in cheddar and mozzarella cheese until sauce is smooth.

  6. Add macaroni and cup of water to saucepan.

  7. Stir in marinara sauce, sun-dried tomatoes and pepperoni.

  8. Mix thoroughly and pour into a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish.

  9. Evenly sprinkle Parmesan over the macaroni for added flavor.

  10. Cook in oven for 10 minutes to lightly brown the macaroni.

  11. Carefully remove dish from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes. 

After a long day of work, I often find myself struggling between a hankering for pizza and a yearning for mac ’n’ cheese.

But why choose just one? Start making this carb- filled delight by preheating the oven to 425 F.

Next, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in elbow macaroni so it can cook as you prepare the cheeses and spices. Cook the pasta until it is al dente because it will be baked later on, making it softer.

Next, grab a sauce pan and combine 2 cups of half-and-half, 3/4 of a teaspoon of dried oregano and 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper. Let this mixture simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes.

Then, add 1/4 of a cup of cream cheese to the mixture, stir until there are no chunks and the mixture has a smooth, creamy texture.

As you tend to your cheeses, be sure to keep stirring the pasta frequently to prevent it from sticking to the inside of the pot. When it is ready, strain your macaroni and set it aside to cool.

Add in 8 ounces of sharp shredded cheddar cheese and 3 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese to the saucepan and mix so the combination remains smooth.

After all of the cheese is mixed in, add the macaroni and the cup of water, stirring while you pour so the macaroni-cheese ratio is even. Mix the pasta and water into the cheese as evenly as possible so that no excess water remains.

Don’t worry if it is too liquidy, as the macaroni will soak up the water when baking in the oven.

Once the mixture looks evenly stirred, pour it into a casserole dish and sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Place the dish in the oven and let bake for 10 minutes to lightly brown the macaroni.

Next, check that the macaroni looks baked to your liking and remove from the oven, letting it cool for 10 minutes. Finally, serve your pizza mac ’n’ cheese goodness and enjoy!