It’s Friday, of the first week back to work after Christmas/New Year’s, so I’m feeling pretty good. I survived! Hope you all did too. Maybe you should treat yourself with this tasty little dish?

So here’s the deal – TJ’s favorite meal of all time is macaroni and cheese. We’re talking an “eat it every day for every meal” kind of thing. I’m fairly certain that if something ever happens to me, he’ll subsist solely on Kraft macaroni and cheese. Now don’t get me wrong, I love it too, but I can only handle so much of the classic blue box stuff. And I like it more on a “once a month or so” type basis.

When we do have his all-time favorite dish, I like to fancy it up a bit, and experiment with different flavors and cheeses. This goat cheese version is our newest favorite, and it definitely got the seal of approval from the macaroni and cheese connoisseur in the house. I think we can call it a keeper.

Printable Recipe
Serves 4

ingredients:
2 cups milk
1/4 cup flour, plus 1 tbsp
4 1/2 tbsp butter
1/2 pound macaroni
6 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
olive oil, for drizzling

instructions:
Heat the milk in a pan over medium heat just until it starts to bubble, or about 5 minutes.

In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Meanwhile, boil the macaroni according to package directions.

Add the flour into the melted butter and whisk constantly, until the mixture is slightly thick.

Remove the butter mixture from heat and slowly add in the milk, whisking constantly. Once the milk has been added, set back over medium heat and continue to whisk until the mixture is silky and thick, about 3 minutes.

Add the goat cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and green onions to the milk mixture and melt over low heat, just until the goat cheese has melted.

When the macaroni has finished boiling, drain and stir in to the goat cheese mixture.

Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and top with the Panko breadcrumbs.

Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs have started to brown.

Drizzle with olive oil and enjoy!

Adapted from The Mac & Cheese Cookbook