Chef notes
This recipe is great because you don't have to make a decision between pizza and mac and cheese. It lets you enjoy both in one delicious dish! It's also a great way to step outside of the box with a traditional, classic recipe.
Swap option: You can use regular pepperoni and sausage if you prefer. You can try this with any protein or veggie that you would put on an actual pizza.
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 quart heavy cream
- Garlic powder, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Seasoning salt, to taste
- 4 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella, plus more
- 1 cup shredded smoked gouda
- 1 cup shredded fontina
- 1 cup grated Parmesan, plus more
- Ricotta cheese
- Marinara sauce
- Turkey pepperoni
- Chicken sausage, chopped
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Preparation
1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a cast iron skillet, and set aside.
2.Cook macaroni to instructions on packaging.
3.While the macaroni is cooking, start your roux. In a medium pot on low heat, melt the butter, sprinkle in the flour, and stir constantly until it makes a smooth, thick paste. Slowly stir in heavy cream until smooth. Add garlic powder, black pepper, and seasoning salt to taste.
4.Begin adding the extra sharp cheddar, mozzarella, smoked Gouda, fontina and Parmesan to the mixture, stirring well each addition until the sauce is smooth. Add a healthy dollop of ricotta and stir entire mixture until smooth.
5.Drain macaroni, and toss into pot with cheese sauce. Toss gently until well combined.
6.Pour pasta and cheese mixture into buttered skillet. Top with a healthy layer of marinara sauce, turkey sausage and chicken sausage.
7.Sprinkle on extra Parmesan, mozzarella and the panko breadcrumbs. Bake for 25 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
