I love when mac and cheese comes together in an unexpected way. I don’t usually know what plans I will have for the cheeses I grab each week until I test them out in a charcuterie board or, if we’re being honest, shamelessly straight out of the bag as soon as I get home. Frequently I just add whichever ingredients feel good while I’m cooking, and it hasn’t failed me yet! I wasn’t planning on making a cookout mac and cheese recipe, but this recipe tastes so much like summertime that was all I could imagine it as.
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I wasn’t sure how I was going to use the Beecher’s Flagship cheese I picked up, just that it was going to be a component in a mac and cheese. Their mac and cheese is legendary. The frozen version ranks at the top of my favorite frozen mac and cheese options, and their recipe is so full of goodness you know it’s amazing.
After tossing some things together, this recipe came to fruition and it is the perfect recipe for a potluck. Eating this cookout mac and cheese feels like a summer day in the park. It reheats beautifully, so you can make it the day of or give the ingredients a few hours to marinate together.
This cookout mac and cheese is a dream. The dijon mustard adds an extra punch of flavor that balances beautifully with the cheddars and serves as the closer in this recipe. Pretty soon everyone will be asking you to bring it along to every bbq, potluck, and picnic you’re invited to.
Cookout Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 oz Pasta
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 3 tbsp Flour
- 3 cups Whole Milk
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 cup grated Beecher’s Flagship Cheese
- 1 cup grated Extra Sharp Cheddar
Toppings
- Crispy Onions
- Crispy Jalapenos
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta according to package directions.
Prepare the sauce
- Pre heat your milk in the microwave for 45 seconds – just enough to take the chill out of it.
- Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and let it heat until it becomes foamy.
- Mix in flour. Cook it for a minute while stirring constantly
- Slowly add warmed milk to the butter mixture 1/4 cup at a time. Whisk it continually until combined. Add Mustard.
- Once all of the milk is added, cook for a few minutes while whisking it. Do not let it boil. You will feel the sauce start to thicken. It’s ready for cheese when you rub a small amount between your fingers and it feels silky.
- Remove from heat and stir in your cheese until it’s melted and mixed into the sauce.
- Once the cheese is incorporated, use a cooked noodle to taste your sauce. If it doesn’t taste cheesy enough try adding a little more salt to bring out the flavor.
- Combine the pasta and sauce. Top with crispy onions and jalapenos
