Recipe: Pepper Jack Cheesy Mac

A couple of weeks ago I was sifting through the Sunday paper's coupons and came across the recipe for Pepper Jack Cheesy Mac, which was provided by the Carnation company. I put it aside thinking to myself, "Well, I love mac and cheese and I love pepper jack cheese, so why not?". Today the creation was made, and here is my first impression:

First impression: Not bad.

Pros: Well, if you like spicy food (which I occasionally do), this is pretty good. The pepper jack cheese itself was spicy and then I put on 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper on the top, which gave it an extra kick. My family, who are less into spicy food than I am, thought it was a little too hot. I thought it was pretty good. I used Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese and Cabot Cheddar Cheese (both can be obtained at Costco). You can taste the distinct flavors of the cheddar and pepper jack, which makes the dish particularly catchy. I didn't think I would like the tortilla chips on top, and actually considered skipping it, but I think it added to it, and wound up really enjoying it.

Cons: I think it still need a little punch. Not a spicy punch, but it was a little bland for me. I think it actually had to do with the evaporated milk. I think next time instead of the evaporated milk I'm going to substitute it for some heavy cream and regular milk and see what happens. However, the evaporated milk still wasn't terrible but if I could substitute it for something better I would. In other words I still wouldn't be embarrassed to serve it at a party if it had the evaporated milk in it.

Over all, I enjoyed it. I think it's perfect for a party, especially a Super Bowl party or BBQ. I definitely would keep this recipe in mind for the future. Below is the actual recipe:

Pepper Jack Cheesy Mac

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (8 oz.) dry elbow macaroni
• 2 cups (8-oz. pkg.) shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Pepper Jack cheese, divided
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 to 1 cup broken tortilla chips (your choice of color)
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Lightly grease 2 1/2-quart casserole dish.

COOK macaroni in large saucepan according to package directions; drain. Return to saucepan.

ADD cheddar cheese, 1 1/2 cups Pepper Jack cheese, evaporated milk and black pepper to macaroni; stir until combined. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Combine remaining 1/2 cup Pepper Jack cheese, tortilla chips and red pepper flakes in small bowl. Sprinkle over top. Cover tightly with foil.

BAKE for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Recipe and photo obtained at: http://www.verybestbaking.com/products/carnation/virtual-kitchen/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=144036