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Scooping Popeyes mac and cheese with dripping cheese strings
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Popeye's Mac And Cheese

This copycat Popeyes mac and cheese is a creamy, dreamy, 4 cheese crazy-delicious version of a mac ad cheese that's a snap to make.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword mac and cheese recipes, macaroni casserole recipes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 812kcal
Author Kathleen

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces elbow pasta
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1/3 cup gouda cheese, grated
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Topping:

  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Cook pasta (16 ounces) according to box instructions until al dente, in well-salted water. Drain; set aside.
  • Melt butter (4 ounces) in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle flour (1/2 cup) over the butter and whisk into melted butter. Cook for 1 to minutes, whisking constantly, to remove the raw flour taste.
  • Remove the pan from heat and slowly whisk in heavy cream (2 cups) and the whole milk (3 cups) until smooth. Continue cooking until the sauce has thickened.
  • Return pan to low heat and stir in cheddar (1/3 cup), gouda (1/3 cup), mozzarella (1/2 cup), parmesan cheese (1/3 cup), mustard powder (1/2 teaspoon), garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon), cayenne pepper (1/4 teaspoon), salt (1/2 teaspoon) and black pepper (1/4 teaspoon).
  • Stir in cooked and drained pasta.
  • Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheddar and 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Notes

  1. Al Dente: Don’t overcook the pasta. Cook it just to al dente. Al dente is an Italian term that literally means, “to the bite”. When the pasta is done, it should be soft, not mushy, and have a bit of resistance to the bite.
  2. Salt The Past Water: Be sure to generously salt the pasta water before cooking the pasta. This will give the pasta a wonderful flavor that it wouldn’t otherwise have.
  3. Skip The Bag Cheese! Shred your own cheese. The stuff that comes in the bag is convenient, but it is coated with cellulose, a wood pulp product.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 812kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 648mg | Potassium: 389mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1870IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 562mg