Sharing our favorite creamy baked mac and cheese today! My Pepperoni Pizza Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese makes the perfect dinner for any occasion.
Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
There’s nothing better than easy homemade mac and cheese. I kicked it up a notch with my Pepperoni Pizza Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese today. It’s ultra cheesy and has that delicious Pepperoni Pizza flavors too. You’ll love this one!
Be sure to try my Easy Pepperoni Pizza Dip too! Follow Picky Palate on Instagram for daily recipe inspiration.
What You’ll Need
- small shaped dry pasta– Elbow pasta works great. Small shells too.
- butter– I use generally salted butter for my recipes, unsalted works great too.
- all-purpose flour– Flour is used to make the homemade roux.
- kosher salt– Kosher salt is a coarse salt commonly used in cooking and baking.
- black pepper– For best tasting results use freshly cracked black pepper.
- milk– 2% or whole milk works great.
- shredded cheddar cheese– I use mild cheddar cheese for my homemade cheese sauce.
- pizza sauce– Use your favorite brand of pizza sauce.
- pepperoni slices– Pepperoni slices are added to the top of the mac and cheese before baking.
- shredded mozzarella cheese– Mozzarella cheese is added to the top of the dish before baking.
How To Make Baked Mac and Cheese
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. I recommend cooking the pasta a minute less than the directions. Drain and set aside for a few minutes.
- To prepare roux, melt butter into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted whisk in flour, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes until color of roux gets slightly darker. Slowly whisk in milk, stirring continuously until thickened, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in cheese until melted.
- Transfer cooked pasta to large dutch oven or pot over low heat. Pour cheese sauce over top, stirring to combine. This is a thick and creamy sauce. To thin the sauce, add a few tablespoons of milk at a time until at desired consistency.
- Transfer stovetop mac and cheese to a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Top evenly with pizza sauce, pepperonis and Mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 25-30- minutes, until cheese is melted and dish is heated through. Remove and serve hot.
Stir cooked pasta into cheese sauce until well combined. Add splashes of milk to get the consistency desired.
Transfer mac and cheese to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and top with prepared pizza sauce.
Top dish with pepperonis.
How Long To Bake Mac and Cheese
Add lots of shredded Mozzarella cheese and bake at 350 degrees F. for about 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and hot.
Remove from oven when cheese is melted and bubbly, turning golden brown around edges.
How To Serve Baked Mac and Cheese
Serve hot, shortly after removing from oven. Serve with a nice chopped salad, roasted vegetables and garlic bread if you’d like.
Leftovers
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Pepperoni Pizza Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- Oven
- Dutch Oven
- saucepan
- whisk
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound dry small pasta I used elbow
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2-2 1/2 cups milk I use 2%
- 2 cups finely shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1 cup prepared pizza sauce
- 20 pepperonis
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. I recommend cooking the pasta a minute less than the directions. Drain and set aside for a few minutes.
- To prepare roux, melt butter into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted whisk in flour, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes until color of roux gets slightly darker. Slowly whisk in milk, stirring continuously until thickened, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in cheese until melted.
- Transfer cooked pasta to large dutch oven or pot over low heat. Pour cheese sauce over top, stirring to combine. This is a thick and creamy sauce. To thin the sauce, add a few tablespoons of milk at a time until at desired consistency.
- Transfer stovetop mac and cheese to a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Top evenly with pizza sauce, pepperonis and Mozzarella cheese. Bake for 25-3- minutes, until cheese is melted and dish is heated through. Remove and serve hot.
Nutrition
Pin Baked Mac and Cheese To Your Favorite Recipe Board
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I made this for dinner last night and it was a huge hit! My teenage son had thirds! It was easy to make and we will be making it again.
I was a little apprehensive about this recipe, but when you’re a broke college student and have all the ingredients for something, you make it. OH MY HEAVENS this was incredible!!! The cheese sauce – I could have stuck a straw in the pot and drank it all. I was so pleased with this recipe. WOW it was so yummy, and super simple to make!