Macaroni and cheese!
I feel like I could just stop talking and show you the recipe, and we’d be right as rain. Do you *actually* need to hear more words from me on this? If this is you, just scroll down.
In case you do, I’ll give you a teeny bit of backstory.
My dear cousin Kate loves macaroni and cheese. In fact, she’s an extraordinary cook by trade, and credits this mac and cheese as the thing that sparked her love of perfecting recipes just so.
Here’s Kate, isn’t she the cutest?
Kate is one of the geniuses in the kitchen at the Blue Heron Coffeehouse here in Winona. But since we are lucky enough to share some ancestors, I got the extraordinary blessing of a personal visit from Kate, where she taught me and my sister how to make her famous macaroni and cheese from scratch. With kielbasa, which is the grown-up version of having hot dogs in your macaroni and cheese, and OMG can we start cooking already?!
Without further ado, the thing we all came here for.
Kate’s Mac & Cheese Recipe
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 c whole milk
- 2 c sharp white cheddar
- 1 c heavy cream
- Salt & pepper
- Cayenne pepper
1 package of kielbasa (optional), cooked and sliced
Topping
- 1/2 c panko
- 4 tbsp butter
Technique
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter, stir in flour. Add milk, then heat over medium until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat, stir in cheese, then stir in heavy cream. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Combine sauce with noodles then top with panko in a 9×13 baking dish. Dot with remaining butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until golden. Eat your heart out.
It’s creamy and cheesy with just the right amount of crunch on top. YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY for making this.
Thanks for sharing your recipe Kate! xoxo
