Tasty Tuesday - Pepper Jack Mac 'n Cheese

Last year, for his birthday, Justin asked for Pepper Jack Macaroni and Cheese. I had never actually made homemade macaroni and cheese (and he'd never had a pepper jack version... he just dreamed this up on his own). When I started searching the internet for a pepper jack version, I was pretty disappointed in the results. There didn't seem to be anything that fit what I was looking for. Last year's version wasn't all that great, but since then, I've done some practicing and some refining, and created this recipe that's pretty delicious. It's not what you'd call health-food, but it's worth the five million calories.

Pepper Jack Mac 'n Cheese
1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
8T butter (1 stick)
1 (8oz.) block of pepper jack cheese, shredded
1c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2c. half-and-half
8 ounces cubed Velveeta cheese (about ¼ block)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4t. salt
1/4t. ground black pepper
1/2t. -1t. cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain well and return to cooking pot.

Meanwhile, In a large saucepan/skillet over medium-low heat, melt butter and Velveeta cheese together, stirring constantly.

Reserve about 1/4c. of the shredded pepper jack, and about 1/4c. of the shredded cheddar cheese. Add the rest of the cheese and the half and half to the mixture. Again, stirring constantly, or it will burn/stick to the bottom.

In a small bowl, slowly add about 1/4c. of the melted cheese to the beaten eggs, to temper the eggs (to keep them from becoming scrambled eggs when you add them to the cheese mixture), then add them to the cheese mixture and stir well.

Add salt, and both peppers to taste. (Some finely chopped jalapenos at this point would be a great addition too, but I’ve been trying to keep it less spicy for a toddler.)

Add macaroni to the cheese and thoroughly coat.

Transfer to a lightly greased deep 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbling around the edges; serve immediately.