Emma Grede’s Cajun Mac n Cheese
Leading lady spotlight: Emma Grede is one of the icons I most admire. She came from nothing and has built multiple billion dollar companies alongside her husband, Jens, whilst being a mother of four. I love her podcast, Aspire with Emma Grede and I am an avid Good American and SKIMS customer because their products are phenomenal. When Emma isn’t building empires, she loves to cook and from time to time we see this show up on her Instagram, as in the case of this bacon lattice turkey and this cajun mac and cheese, both of which I’ve copied her recipes for, and made in my own kitchen, and of course, shared here (here’s the turkey one) in the event you want to make them in your own home, and pretend, like me, that Emma invited you over for the holidays too ;)
What You’ll Need
Pasta
1 lb of pasta
Roux
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup of salted butter
3 cups of whole milk
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella (buy a brick and grate at home for best results!)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup shredded colby jack
Seasoning
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp nutmeg.
1 tsp white sugar
1/2 cup dried onion
1 dash of hot sauce
Bake
1 cup mozzarella
1 cup cheddar
1 cup colby jack
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup dried onion
1/4 cup parsley
How to make
Preheat your oven to 350 °F
First, boil a pot of water and get your noodles started. Cook to al dente per the instructions on the box. I like using shells, simply because shells rock.
Next, in a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, whisking in flour, and allowing to thicken slightly. Once thickened, gradually whisk in milk, simmering for 4-5 minutes and whisking frequently until even thicker. Now, while continuing to whisk, add in the mozzarella, cheddar, and colby jack. When you achieve a velvety texture, this is ready.
Now, add your seasoning, to the Roux, to taste (but in general, a dash or two of hot sauce and a heaping tablespoon of the cajun seasoning will get you where you want to be).
Transfer your noodles to an oven-safe baking dish, and pour Roux over top. Add bread crumbs, dried onion, parsley, mozzarella, cheddar, and colby jack, and then mix until toppings are spread evenly and noodles coated.
Top with any remaining cheese, parsley, bread crumbs, and one more sprinkle of the cajun seasoning!
Bake for 25-30 mins until your mac is crispy and golden brown.
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