Name: Cream of Mushroom Mac & Cheese
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 lb dried elbow macaroni; ¼ cup kosher salt; 1 tablespoon canola oil; 2 cups Mushroom Cheese Sauce, recipe follows; ½ cup smoked cheddar cheese, grated; ½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; ½ cup crimini mushrooms, minced; ¾ cups shiitake mushrooms, minced; ⅓ cups cello (white) mushrooms, minced; 2 ½ teaspoons onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 cup flour; 3 cups milk; 2/3 cup heavy cream; 1/2 cup vegetable stock; 2 jalapenos, minced; 1 cup smoked cheddar, shredded; 1/2 cup sharp white cheddar, shredded; 3/4 cup mozzarella , shredded; 1/4 cup Monterey jack, shredded; 1/2 cup smoked gouda, shredded; Kosher salt, to taste; Black pepper, to taste

2 cups Mushroom Cheese Sauce, recipe follows

Cream of Mushroom Mac & Cheese

In a pot, salt 6 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni until al dente. (A minute or two shy of what the box recommends.)

Mix the smoked cheddar and mozzarella cheese together in a bowl.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, cheese sauce, and ⅓  cup of the mixed grated cheese and fold together.

Add to a baking dish and top with the remaining grated cheese mix.

Bake for 4-5 minute or until slightly browned and bubbly.

⅓  cups cello (white) mushrooms, minced

Mushroom Cheese Sauce

Melt butter and add mushrooms and cook until sweated, about 1-2 minutes.

Add in onion powder, garlic powder and flour, and cook for 2 minutes on low heat.  Add vegetable stock and whisk, 1 minute.  Add milk and cream, a little at a time, slowly whisking to get as many clumps out as possible.

Cook for about 6-8 minutes until thickened.

Add the jalapeno through the smoked gouda and whisk until smooth.

In this episode, Chef Keith Corbin is sharing his personal journey through food with his show-stopping, Cali-Soul menu: Black-Eyed Pea Fritters, Cream of Mushroom Mac & Cheese, and his secret technique to making fried chicken with crispy skin.