Two American favorites combine to make the most glorious Pizza Macaroni and Cheese. Creamy, cheesy pasta topped with pizza sauce, pepperoni and more cheese. Customize it and use your favorite toppings.
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It’s 2020 and sometimes we just need ridiculously cheesy, carby goodness in our lives. This Pizza Macaroni and Cheese completely fits the those requirements with no apologies.
I have a few homemade macaroni and cheese musts and they are as follows:
- Involve at least 2 different types of cheeses
- Use a fun shaped noodles
- An incredibly silky, cheesy sauce
- A little excess sauce, so when baked it doesn’t dry out
This one sees all the requirements and raises.the.stakes. I mean, it’s like a pizza but the crust is macaroni and cheese. There is just nothing to hate about that.
Ingredients for Pizza Macaroni and Cheese
Let’s start out with the ingredients you need to make this gloriously cheesy dish.
How to Make Pizza Macaroni and Cheese
Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. While waiting for the pasta to cook, make the cheese sauce.
In a medium sized saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and kosher salt. Cook for 2 minutes. This cooks out the flour taste. This is the roux I was talking about above.
Add 1/3 of the milk to the roux. Whisk until smooth and cook until it slightly thickens. Add another 1/3 of the milk, whisk and thicken. Repeat with the remaining milk.
You want the sauce thickened enough to coat the spoon. Drag your finger across the spoon. If the sauce doesn’t immediately come back together on the spoon, you’re good to go. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Mix the three cheeses in a bowl. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cheese then add the remaining cheese to the saucepan. Whisk until smooth.
Add pasta to a 13×9 baking dish. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir to coat. Dollop the pizza sauce over the macaroni and cheese and spread evenly.
Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the pizza sauce and top with pepperoni. Bake to golden, gooey, bubbly perfection.
Totally Customizable
I kept things simple with the classic pepperoni for topping this mac and cheese. Buuut, the topping possibilites are endless.
Italian sausage, crumbled bacon, mushrooms, olives, bell peppers. Whatever you love would be a great addition to your macaroni and cheese.
You can even use different cheeses if you wish. I think you should always keep that mozzarella though to make sure you have the pizza vibes. The parm sprinkled on time also keeps that pizza feeling going.
More Mac and Cheese Must Try Recipes:
Pizza Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 oz. short cut pasta
- 8 oz. mozzarella, shredded
- 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup pizza sauce
- 1/2 cup thick sliced pepperoni
- 1/2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and cook pasta 2 minutes less than the package directions.
- Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add butter and melt. Sprinkle in flour and whisk until smooth. Cook for 2 minutes, until slightly browned. Add about 1/3 of the milk to the saucepan. Whisk until smooth. Once slighty thickened, add in another 1/3 of the milk. Whisk and thicken again. Repeat with the remaining milk and cook until slighty thickened. It should coat the back of a spoon. When you drag your finger on the coated spoon, it should take a couple seconds to come back together.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Combine the mozzarella, cheddar and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. Add remaining cheese to the saucepan and whisk until smooth.
- Add pasta to a 13 x 9 pan. Pour cheese sauce over the pasta and stir until well coated. Dollop the pizza sauce over the mac and cheese and smooth over the top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese then top with pepperoni.
- Bake for 20 minutes and serve immediately.
October 27, 2020 at 5:28 am
Loved it!! The detailed description of your recipe helped me a lot. My family loved the preparation. Thanks for sharing.