Want to blow your kids’ minds? I’ve got three words for you: pizza mac ‘n cheese. (Wait, is that four words? Does the “n” count? Whatever.) The big kids went back to school this week and my son has finally reached the monumental age where he is allowed to use the cafeteria microwave. For this occasion, I threw together a dish that I hoped he would enjoy. His second favourite food is pizza (blueberries being the first) and my daughter loves mac ‘n cheese so I merged the two worlds and cooked up this children-friendly meal. Because this recipe makes a hefty quantity, I was able to feed it to them for dinner AND portion some for future microwaveable school lunches. BAM! Don’t you love when that happens? As a mom of three, I sure fucking do.
Scroll below to find this carb-tastic Pizza Mac ‘n Cheese recipe and don’t forget to subscribe! 😉
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 cups of uncooked pasta (I went with cavatappi)
- 1 cup of mild Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- ½ green pepper, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 4 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated and divided
- 1 cup pepperoni slices
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh basil, for garnish
Here’s what you’ll do:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Prepare pasta al dente as directed on the package. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until no long pink, breaking up with a wooden spoon into little turd-like morsels. Add onion and pepper, cooking for approx. 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook for one minute. Ever so gently, whisk in whipping cream and milk. Add oregano and salt and pepper. Stirring constantly, cook until sauce thickens. Add marinara sauce, mozzarella and ½ cup parmesan. Stir until cheese is completely melted. Add pasta, sausage mixture and pepperoni.
- Pour into a casserole dish and sprinkle with the left over parmesan cheese. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped basil and watch as the children’s minds blow as they take their first bite. #coolestmomevah
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