Classic macaroni & cheese meets the Spice Squad’s Garam Masala for this Masala Mac and Cheese recipe. Scroll down for the recipe!
For a while now, I have been wanting to place a spicy spin on my classic macaroni & cheese recipe. Specifically, I wanted to add some flavors found in Indian cuisine that I have tasted in the Morrisville and Cary area in North Carolina. These NC cities are home to beautiful and diverse international eateries. One of my favorites is Cary’s Biryani Maxx Indian Cuisine.
Recently, the Spice Squad contacted me for a collaboration. The Spice Squad was created by Chopped Jr. contestant, Stefano Dongowski. The Wilmington, NC store offers superior spices that will enhance the dishes prepared by their customers. The Spice Squad gifted me five different spices including a lovely Garam Masala. I was very excited because I knew it was the perfect opportunity to create a Masala Mac and Cheese recipe.
I realize that homemade mac and cheese recipes can be quite sacred in many households.
While I have experimented with other recipes outside of my own, my loyal taste testers have preferred my macaroni & cheese recipe over others. This is why I decided that my classic recipe would be the base for this Masala Mac and Cheese. This recipe begins by building a rue. It is crucial to follow my recipe step by step. Before starting the recipe, I recommend that you gather all of the ingredients for the rue and cheese sauce. You do not want to be running to your pantry or refrigerator for ingredients while the rue and sauce are on the stove top. In addition to the Garam Masala, this recipe also calls for ghee. Sharp and extra sharp cheddar are going to be the two cheeses required for this recipe. For purposes of this recipe, I used one 8oz block of Kraft sharp cheddar and one 8 oz block of Kraft extra sharp cheddar. Shredding a block of cheese will require a little more work, but I find the texture of the cheese is quite different from packaged shredded cheeses.
Now that I have shared a couple of important tips and ingredients required for this Masala Mac and Cheese, let’s get to the step by step recipe.
Masala Mac and Cheese
Spicy Masala Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups Water
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 8 oz Elbow Macaroni
- ¼ cup Ghee
- ¼ cup Flour
- 1 tbsp Spice Squad's Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Ground Turmeric
- 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin Seed
- ½ tsp Crushed Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Granulated Garlic
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 cup Whole Half-and-Half
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 8 oz Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese Block
- 8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese Block
Instructions
- Bring two cups of water to a boil in a three quart sauce pan. Add one tablespoon of olive oil and one teaspoon of kosher salt to the boiling water. Add elbow macaroni to the boiling water and cook the pasta for 8 - 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside. Pasta should be al dente since it will also bake in the oven. Do not overcook the pasta.
- Heat oven to 375°.
- Melt ghee on medium heat in a two quart sauce pan. Gradually whisk in the flour until smooth. Whisk for about two minutes and do not let it burn. Stir in the following ingredients: Spice Squad's Garam Masala, Ground Turmeric, Cayenne Pepper, Ground Cumin Seed, Crushed Black Pepper, Granulated Garlic, and Kosher Salt. Once all of the ingredients are well combined, gradually whisk in the half and half and whole milk. Continuously whisk all of the ingredients for 8 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. Do not let the mixture sit otherwise the milk will burn. Continue to stir.
- Stir in half of the shredded extra sharp cheddar and all of the sharp cheddar into the mixture. Stir the mixture continuously until the cheese has melted.
- Remove the cheese mixture from the heat and add the drained elbow macaroni. Stir both ingredients to ensure every piece of pasta is covered in the cheese mixture.
- Pour the Masala Mac and Cheese into a non-stick 9 inch baking dish. Top the macaroni and cheese with the remaining shredded extra sharp cheddar.
- Bake the Masala Mac and Cheese in a 375° oven for 25 minutes. Bake an extra 10 minutes for an extra crusty top.
Tools used for this Masala Mac and Cheese recipe:
I hope that you enjoy this Masala Mac and Cheese as much as I do!
I have never met a person who did not love macaroni & cheese. Seriously, what is not to love? Noodles… yum. Cheese… yum. If you are a fan of Indian flavors and spicy food, this recipe is guaranteed to make you swoon. As I mentioned earlier, I have a deep appreciation for the variety of cuisines that are in my city. Thai is another wonderful cuisine that I have become acquainted with this past year. Albeit I am still learning about this cuisine, I have incorporated Thai chiles in some of my cocktails. Click here to read the step by step recipe for my Spicy Thai Chile Paloma.
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