Beer Mac & Cheese

Name: Beer Mac & Cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4-6
Ingredients: ¼ cup All-purpose flour; ¼ cup Butter; 2 cups Milk; 1 cup Negra Modelo (or a stout beer of your choice); ½ tsp Onion powder; ½ tsp Black pepper; 1 tsp Salt; ½ tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 pkg (1 ¾ cups) <a href="https://tillamook.comundefined">Tillamook Smoked Provolone</a>, Slices (remove paper, chop, and reserve ¾ cup for topping); 1 pkg (2 cups) <a href="https://tillamook.comundefined">Tillamook Colby Jack Cheese</a>, Shredded; ¼ lb Smoked bacon, cooked until crispy then chopped; 16 oz Pasta (We use Cavatappi because it has little pockets for cheese to hide. If you can’t find it penne works too)

By: Chef Sarah Schafer

Creamy Tillamook cheddar cheese, beer, and bacon come together in this delicious mac and cheese recipe. Perfect for a family dinner or a game day party.

35MINserves 4-6

Ingredients

¼ cup All-purpose flour
¼ cup Butter
2 cups Milk
1 cup Negra Modelo (or a stout beer of your choice)
½ tsp Onion powder
½ tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Salt
½ tbsp Dijon mustard
1 pkg (1 ¾ cups) Tillamook Smoked Provolone, Slices (remove paper, chop, and reserve ¾ cup for topping)
1 pkg (2 cups) Tillamook Colby Jack Cheese, Shredded
¼ lb Smoked bacon, cooked until crispy then chopped
16 oz Pasta (We use Cavatappi because it has little pockets for cheese to hide. If you can’t find it penne works too)

Preheat oven to 400°.
In boiling slightly salted water, cook pasta 1-2 minutes less than package directions. Rinse in cold water and set aside. It should be al dente because you will be cooking it further in the oven.
Heat milk in a small sauce pan on the stove just until warm, do not boil.
Melt butter in a medium pot over medium-low heat; slowly whisk in flour until smooth.
Cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in warm milk and cook, whisking for 5 minutes or until thickened.
Slowly add beer and cook, whisking again constantly, 2 minutes.
Whisk in salt, black pepper, onion powder, Dijon mustard, and 3 cups of the cheeses, mix until smooth; stir pasta into sauce mixture add the cooked bacon.
Spoon pasta and bacon coated mixture into a lightly greased 8 inch baking dish; top with remaining Provolone cheese.
Bake at 400° uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Let Mac & Cheese sit for 5 minutes before serving.