If you’re a macaroni and cheese lover, today is your lucky day! A group of food bloggers and I have teamed up to bring you some of the best mac & cheese recipes – some of the best I’ve ever seen! Plus, we’ve got some great sponsors and giveaways just for you! Welcome to MAC & CHEESE MANIA!

Welcome to Mac & Cheese Mania, hosted by the lovely ladies Brandy of Nutmeg Nanny and Rachel of Rachel Cooks. Along with a few of your favorite bloggers (myself included!), we’ve come together to each share a delicious and irresistible recipe for macaroni and cheese.

When I first signed up for this, I thought I’d go the Latin route and make something with Caribbean spice in it. But after visiting my best friend and stocking up on Korean ingredients from her local market, I decided to ditch the Latin and go the Korean way! Thus, I present to you: Korean Macaroni and Cheese.

This Korean Macaroni and Cheese is so rich, luscious, spicy, and oh so decadent, you’ll be having seconds – I’m sure of it! What makes this recipe so special is the layered of Korean favorites, detailed below:

gochujang: savory and pungent fermented Korean condiment made from red chili, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans and salt. It adds not only spice to the cheese sauce, but pure umami;
shiitake mushrooms: edible mushroom native to Asian, it’s revered for its medicinal purposes but for this recipe, we love the addition of texture and flavor it provides;
dried kimchi & panko crust: you heard right, dried kimchi! It’s just like the fresh version, only dried to a crisp. Blended with panko (the Asian breadcrumbs), it creates a delectable crust unlike any other!
(not a Korean favorite but…) Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar: this is what makes this such a luscious dish! The sharpness of the cheddar plays off the spiced gochujang and brings this dish together!

Isn’t your mouth watering already?! If you’re a lover of Korean food, I’m sure it is! Now, please make sure to head on over to Nutmeg Nanny and Rachel Cooks – they’re the hosts of this fun event and giving away tons of prizes, including: Door to Door Organics Gift Cards, OXO Gift Baskets, Zak Designs Prize Pack, a year’s supply of Cabot cheese, a Vermont Creamery gift basket, a risotto kit from Marx Foods, Barilla pasta, Anolon Advanced Bronze 4.5 Qt. Tapered Stockpot, Rachael Ray Stoneware Casseroval, Wusthof CLASSIC Studio Block Set, Microplane Graters and Kitchen Tools, a SavorX Starter Block with spices and Le Cordon Bleu by Swissmar oven to table roasters. All giveaways open to US residents over the age of 18 only.

To give you just a taste, here are a couple more recipe from #maccheesemania:

Pizza Mac and Cheese by Very Culinary
Crab Mac and Cheese by Dine & Dish
Bacon & Eggs Breakfast Mac & Cheese by Sweet Remedy
Fried Mac & Cheese Balls by The Little Kitchen
Sweet Pork Macaroni and Cheese by Oh, Sweet Basil

Prep Time:25

Cook Time:15

Total Time:40

Ingredients

½ pound elbow macaroni pasta cooked al dente
½ large yellow onion thinly sliced
1 clove garlic thinly sliced
6-8 shiitake mushrooms thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon Gochujang Korean hot pepper paste
2 cups shredded Cabot Sharp Cheddar Cheese
salt to taste
1 cup panko
optional: 1/2 cup dried kimchi

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F and butter a large casserole dish.
In a large pot over medium high heat, sauté the onion, garlic, and mushrooms until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms lose some of their water.
Add butter and flour to coat the vegetables and cook for 3 minutes. Add milk and whisk to avoid lumps forming from the flour. Season by adding your hot sauce or Gochujang, as well as salt to taste.
Stir in shredded cheese and dump in cooked pasta. Coat pasta and place in casserole dish.
Top by mixing panko with crushed dried kimchi and bake for 15-25 minutes.

Notes

If you can't find Korean hot pepper paste, substitute for the ever so popular Sriracha!

Servings: 6 -8 servings