15 Minute Stove Top Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 8 oz. elbow macaroni noodles
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 6 drops hickory smoke flavor, such as Liquid Smoke
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard (or 1 tsp if you like more mustard flavor)
• 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 4 oz. Medium or Sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
• 3 oz. Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
• Freshly cracked black pepper or cayenne, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to directions listed on package until cooked through (just past al dente), and drain.
2. Meanwhile (in order to make this a 15 minute recipe I made the sauce as the noodles were cooking), in a medium saucepan combine 1% milk, butter, onion powder, garlic powder, liquid smoke, Dijon mustard and salt then scald mixture over medium heat. In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks with 1/2 cup evaporated milk. Add 1/4 cup scalded milk mixture to egg yolk mixture and whisk, then pour and whisk mixture into saucepan.
3. Cook mixture over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 3 minutes. Add cheese and drained pasta to sauce mixture and gently toss mixture with a rubber spatula until cheese has melted.
4. Serve immediately sprinkled with optional black pepper or cayenne pepper.