Cheesy Baked Potato Mac & Cheese
Potatoes, corn and cajun spices come together to make this delicious and hearty Cheesy Baked Potato Mac and Cheese Recipe.
Prep time: 10Cook time: 30 to 35 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 12 oz penne or cavatappi pasta (I used Cavatappi pasta)
- 1 1/4 cup frozen sweet corn, defrosted
- olive oil
- 1/4 cup bacon bits (or the equivalent of freshly cooked and diced)
- 2 cups peeled, diced potato
- 1/2 tsp Tony Chachere's cajun seasoning (1/4 for the potatoes and 1/4 for the sauce)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1/4-inch cubes (set aside a couple tbs for garnish)
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Salt and black pepper
- 3 tbs butter
- 3 tbs flour
- 2 1/4 cups milk
- 1 tsp dry mustard (I used an squirt of yellow mustard- its all I had)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup grated Parmesan blend cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp yellow cheddar cheese
- Cook pasta in large pot, according to package directions. After cooking is complete, drain, return to pot and keep warm.
- While the pasta is cooking, add oil to pan and brown potatoes for about 5 minutes.
- Add corn, red pepper, onion and garlic, 1/4 tsp of the Tony Chachere seasoning and salt and pepper to the potatoes. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Add milk and whisk til smooth. Add mustard, 1/4 Tony Chachere seasoning, (Careful- this stuff has kick!) nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce thickens.
- Lower the heat and stir in the Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Add the corn-potato mixture and the white sauce to the pasta in the pot and stir together.
- Transfer to a casserole dish, top with the cheddar cheese, bacon and reserved red bell pepper. Broil until brown and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
Enjoy
My photography assistant could not stand it one more minute! She had to have that first bite!
