Homemade Mac & Cheese Recipe with Tillamook Cheddar

I love cheese. I’m one of those that gets giddy over the cheese section of the grocery store, and I seriously think I’d be fine living on cheese and bread alone if I had to. I had never tried Tillamook before, but I got the chance to sample two of their cheeses recently:

• Tillamook Sharp Cheddar is naturally aged for over nine months to achieve a full-bodied flavor marked by sharper accents than the medium cheddar. We loved the flavor of this cheese for sandwiches or shredded on tacos. It’s got a nice sharpness to it, but isn’t overpowering.

• Tillamook Smoked Medium Cheddar (aged 60 days) is infused with natural hardwood smoke to produce the distinctive flavor of this uniquely delicious cheddar. The smokiness of this cheddar is SO good. This is one of new favorites. It adds a real depth of flavor to dishes like macaroni and cheese but is great to eat all on its own, too.

Tillamook has been farmer owned since 1909. They’ve worked hard over the years to distinguish ourselves as great supporters of the local and state dairy industries and as committed stewards of the environment.

I thought it’d be fun to share a macaroni and cheese recipe so you could go get some Tillamook smoked cheddar and see how it adds a new twist to an old favorite! This recipe is from Nestle Carnation:

Ingredients:

• 1 & 2/3 cups dry elbow macaroni
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 Nestle Carnation evaporated milk
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar (note from me – try the smoked cheddar!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 2-quart casserole dish.
2. Combine cornstarch, salt, mustard and pepper in medium saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk, water, and butter. Cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted. Add macaroni; mix well. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and light brown.

Note: I received coupons to try Tillamook cheese for free, but my opinions in this post are all honest and are my own. I was not compensated monetarily for this post.