The Best Mac & Cheese

Dillon and I have been on the quest for the best mac & cheese recipe since our honeymoon in Florida. We were hours away from flying home and needed to find a place to eat before turning in our rental car. I searched up a few close restaurants and Tom Jenkins' BBQ popped up with some good reviews, and since we love BBQ we gave it a try.

The meat was good and the atmosphere old school BBQ hut, but the mac & cheese was what really stuck out. Dillon doesn't have a lot of favorite foods, he'll eat anything, but he regularly talks about this mac & cheese. He'd been talking about recreating it forever when his boss offered him some mac & cheese he had brought for lunch. Dillon tried it and then immediately got the recipe for me to make.

Let me tell you, that mac & cheese was the closest thing to Tom Jenkins' that we've ever tasted. It's still not the same but it's the best I've had! And I can make it any time I want! I don't have to fly to Florida to get it ha (though I'd love to).

This recipe is awesome because it uses evaporated milk instead of regular milk, which stabilizes the sauce so it doesn't break up and get all greasy when you bake it. I've changed a few cheeses and added a few spices to the original recipe to try to get closer to Tom Jenkins' and, to me, it tastes awesome. Hope you enjoy!

The Best Mac & Cheese
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

3/4 c plain bread crumbs
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

1 lb macaroni or medium shells
salt

4 Tbsp butter
5 Tbsp flour
3 cans evaporated milk (12 oz each)
1 tsp hot sauce, such as Sriracha
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
dash of smoked paprika
1 c cheddar cheese, shredded
1 c Colby Jack cheese, shredded
1 c American cheese, shredded
1 c smoked Gruyere, shredded
(or any combo of cheese to equal 4 cups shredded, but one cup must be American)

Preheat oven to 350*F

Mix melted butter, bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese in a bowl, set aside.

Bring 4 quarts salted water to a boil and add pasta, cook until al dente, about 6 mins. Reserve 1/2 c cooking water then drain and rinse pasta, set aside.

Melt 4 Tbsp butter in large pot over medium heat, add flour and mix, then cook for one minute or until mixture has slightly browned. Slowly whisk in evaporated milk then mix in hot sauce and spices. Cook, stirring until simmering and mixture has slightly thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in cheeses and the reserved water. Once cheeses are melted, stir in pasta until coated.

Pour pasta and cheese mixture into a 13x9 dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake for 20-25 mins.

Serves 8-10