It’s the 23rd day of Christmas and our mac and cheese recipe for today is a goat cheese and caramelized onion cheddar mac and cheese. Topped with green hot sauce from Melinda’s, this mac and cheese is as pretty as it is interesting. Using Cheese in Mac and Cheese Pay attention to when the cheesy flavor starts to show up when you take a bite of cheese. Sometimes it’s immediate, but fades away quickly. These are what I call opener cheeses. A Mac and cheese recipe should include an opener cheese that welcomes you to the bowl in cheesy flavor. Other cheeses take a few seconds to develop but last throughout the end of the bite. These are closer cheeses. Well-balanced mac and cheese recipes include both an opener and closer cheese to guarantee that the cheesy flavor carries throughout the entire bite. Goat Cheese We’ve used soft goat cheese in recipes a few times, but this goat cheese is vastly different. It’s not as creamy, but it packs a tangy punch. Wrapped in a beautiful closer cheese. Caramelized Onion Cheddar This Trader Joe’s specialty is packed with flavor and works amazingly well for an opener cheese. The onion flavors balance fantastically with the tangy goat cheese. Cavatappi Pasta in Goat cheese and caramelized onion cheddar Mac and Cheese One of the most important decisions to make when developing a mac and cheese recipe is the pasta vehicle. If your noodle type is too large, you run the risk of your dish being cumbersome and difficult to eat, while if your noodle is too small your mac and cheese can become a soupy mess. Cavatappi is the pasta in this recipe, and it offers plenty of ridges and crannies to hold onto sauce making sure every bite is full of cheesy goodness. Toppings Toppings can add extra pops of texture, flavor, and color that you wouldn’t otherwise see in your cheese sauce. They take a mac and cheese from good to great. In this recipe, I added a drizzle of Melinda’s green sauce. It adds a bright green color and a spiciness that compliments the mac and cheese beautifully. Reheating Goat cheese and caramelized onion cheddar Mac and Cheese Most mac and cheese is difficult to reheat, but roux based pastas reheat beautifully. A minute or two in the microwave and you’ll have delicious, creamy mac and cheese. In fact, if you let the ingredients mingle together in the fridge for a few days, you’ll have even better mac and cheese than the day you made it. Add a Fork Goat cheese and caramelized onion cheddar mac and cheese layered with green hot sauce is an easy meal packed with flavor. It can easily be dressed up as an entree or works perfect as a side.