World's Best Mac and Cheese - so creamy, cheesy, and delicious! Just like the original at Beecher's in Seattle! Pasta tossed in a quick homemade cheese sauce with Jarlsberg and Jack cheese. We added pancetta - crazy good! Everyone cleaned their plate!
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray an 8x8-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a small skillet, cook pancetta until slightly crispy. Drain fat and set aside.
In a large saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour. Cook for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 1¾ cup Jarlsberg cheese, ¼ cup Monterey Jack cheese, salt, ¼ tsp chili powder, and garlic powder. Stir until all cheese has melted.
Combine cooked pasta, pancetta, and cheese sauce. Spread into prepared pan. Top with remaining cheese and chili powder.
Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Notes:
Can assemble casserole and refrigerate overnight.Can freeze assembled casserole and bake later. To bake after freezing, thaw completely and bake as directed above.Can substitute bacon or ham for pancetta.