| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 5 min |
| Active: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- One 16-ounce box cavatappi pasta (I like De Cecco)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, warmed
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 pound extra-sharp Vermont Cheddar, shredded
- 8 ounces processed American cheese, such as Velveeta, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- One 8-ounce bag ridged potato chips, lightly crushed
Instructions
- Cook the pasta per the manufacturer’s al dente specifications, then rinse with cold water in a colander. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a 4-quart Dutch oven, melt the butter over low heat, then add the flour, stirring until thickened. Add the cream, evaporated milk, cayenne pepper and some salt and pepper, then whisk until thickened to the point that the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the yolks and a tablespoon or two of the white sauce to temper the yolks, stirring constantly. Add the tempered yolks back to the white sauce, whisking, then add the Cheddar, followed by the American cheese, stirring until the cheese has melted completely. (If the cheese is not melting completely, return the saucepan to the stovetop over low heat and stir just until the cheese melts.) Gently stir in the pasta until coated. (The mac and cheese can be served at this point if desired, for a stovetop version.)
- Turn the mixture out into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Crumble the chips on top of the mac and cheese and bake until golden brown and bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes. (If traveling with the mac and cheese, put a lid on it and bake on-site, preferably over a campfire!)
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 766 |
| Total Fat | 50 g |
| Saturated Fat | 26 g |
| Carbohydrates | 55 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Protein | 26 g |
| Cholesterol | 188 mg |
| Sodium | 798 mg |
Reviews
2nd time making it. It was great the 1st time, this time I used Doritos instead of regular potato chips. Can’t wait to see how it makes a difference. A great simple recipe.
Made this for thanksgiving. My family loved it and ate the entire thing.
Delicious!
Very good recipe, really rich! I did have trouble getting the cheese to melt, and the sauce was really thick, a little too much sauce for the amount of pasta. Love using cavatappi. I dropped half the pan off to family and they loved it.
We make this for our family poolside barbecues and just love it! It’s a special treat and my 3 young kiddos gobble it up. (We make it exactly as is with no substitutions)
Super cheesy and smooth creamy sauce. Very luxurious and decadent. Want to take a bath in this Mac and cheese!!
Fabulous recipe! Highly recommended. Made it for a Friendsgiving dinner party and everyone loved it. Definitely ooey and gooey!
BEST mac and cheese ever! And I have tried a lot of different recipes. I added bread crumbs and panco for the topping (no chips) and it was amazing!
This is the best Mac and Cheese recipe I’ve ever tried!!!
I loved this Mac & cheese! I made it exactly as instructed and I loved the flavor. Unfortunately my family did not like the extra sharp cheese flavor. My suggestion is if you love sharp cheddar as I do, then use it. If you are not big on that sharp taste then use cheddar or sharp cheddar and avoid the extra sharp. It is ooey gooey yummy.