Skillet Macaroni & Cheese
Creamy, cheesy pasta finished in a hot cast iron pan for flavor and crispiness.
Okay to start us off, I HIGHLY recommended cooking a steak in your cast iron pan first. This is not necessary, but we absolutely loved the extra savory, peppery, char that the steak gave this dish.
Moving onto the important part. You can do this the easy way, or the slightly less easy way. The easy way is to use boxed mac ’n’ cheese. Because it’s delicious and no one here is judging. Kraft knows what they’re doing. With that being said, the directions below include easy steps to make the mac ’n’ cheese from scratch. So just skip that part if you are using a box.
The Recipe
I started by boiling my water and pasta while the steak was cooking. The timing didn’t match up perfectly but I made it work. Follow the directions on the package for your water to pasta ratio. I used approximately 2 cups of shell pasta.
Once your steak is safely resting on the counter and your pasta is cooked, drain any excess oil from the cast iron pan. Make sure the pan is still coated to avoid sticking. This is also a good time to set your oven to broil. Transfer your cooked pasta to the cast iron pan. (If you are using boxed mac, feel free to prepare according to the box in your pot first and then transfer to the cast iron).
Add 1 stick (half of a cup) of butter and stir until melted. Carefully add in 1 cup of milk of your choosing. I prefer whole milk, or sometimes even heavy cream if it’s been an extra rough week. Sprinkle in 1-2 cups (depending on your taste and consistency preferences) of cheddar cheese. You can also get creative here. Feel free to use more than one type of cheese. I personally love parmesan in my mac ’n’ cheese. Go with your gut, I trust you. Finally, add some salt and pepper to taste. Again, if you’re feeling creative, I recommend some garlic and paprika as well.
Once your pasta, butter, milk and cheese are well blended, sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs and grated parmesan. My boyfriend is obsessed with black pepper, so I heavily peppered the top with Penzey’s California Pepper seasoning. Put it in the oven but don’t go too far. If your oven is like mine, it broils very hot. I kept a close eye on it and after about 5 minutes, it was a perfect golden brown across the top.
Remove from the oven VERY CAREFULLY and let cool for a few minutes before digging in. That delicious creamy, cheesy sauce will have started to crisp around the edges and the breadcrumbs will add the perfect amount of crunch in every bite.
Your steak should be well-rested by this point (unlike me by the end of a work week), and if you are good at time management, you might have remembered to also make a vegetable. I forgot to do this, and scrambled to make some quick spicy garlic green beans, but I also think asparagus would go great with this.
Skillet Macaroni & Cheese
Ingredients
- Approximately 4 ounces of dry pasta or boxed mac 'n' cheese
- Oil to coat the pan
- 1/2 of a cup (1 stick) of butter
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 2 cups of shredded cheese (cheddar, parmesan, whatever your heat desires)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Dash of garlic and paprika (optional)
- Breadcrumbs
- Grated parmesan
Instructions
- Boil your water and pasta according to the directions. If you plan on also making a steak, do this while your steak is cooking. I used approximately 2 cups (4 oz) of dry shell pasta.
- Once your steak is safely resting on the counter and your pasta is cooked, drain any excess oil from the cast iron pan. Make sure the pan is still coated to avoid sticking. This is also a good time to set your oven to broil. Transfer your cooked pasta to the cast iron pan. (If you are using boxed mac, feel free to prepare according to the box in your pot first and then transfer to the cast iron).
- Add your butter and stir until melted. Carefully add in the milk.
- Sprinkle in the cheddar cheese, or whatever type of cheese you felt in your heart. I recommend parmesan.
- Add some salt and pepper to taste. Again, if you’re feeling creative, I recommend some garlic and paprika as well.
- Once your pasta, butter, milk and cheese are well blended, sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs and grated parmesan. You can also add extra seasoning or black pepper on top.
- Put it in the oven and keep a close eye on it. (It doesn't take long!) After about 5 minutes, it was a perfect golden brown across the top. Feel free to add or subtract time based on your crispy-preferences.