Description

Why This Recipe Wins

This isn’t your childhood mac and cheese! We’re taking it gourmet with:
Perfectly seared steak bites (garlic butter basted!)
Silky 4-cheese sauce (sharp cheddar + secret stretchy mozzarella)
Restaurant-worthy tricks (hello, smoked paprika roux!)

Perfect for: Date nights ∙ Game day feasts ∙ “I deserve this” dinners

Ingredients

Mac & Cheese:
▢ 1 lb elbow pasta (or cavatappi for fancy swirls)
▢ 4 tbsp butter (unsalted for control)
▢ ¼ cup flour (or cornstarch for GF)
▢ 3 cups whole milk + 1 cup heavy cream *(or all milk + 2 tbsp cream cheese)*
▢ 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar (block cheese melts better!)
▢ 1 cup shredded mozzarella (for that epic pull)
▢ 1 tsp each: garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder
▢ Salt & pepper to taste

Steak Bites:
▢ 1.5 lbs sirloin/ribeye (1″ cubes)
▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
▢ 1 tbsp butter (for basting!)
▢ 1 tsp each: garlic powder, smoked paprika
▢ Salt & pepper

Optional Garnish:
▢ Chopped chives ∙ Crispy breadcrumbs ∙ Extra cheese

Instructions

1️⃣ Cook Pasta:

Boil in heavily salted water until al dente. Drain (save 1 cup pasta water!).

2️⃣ Sear Steak:

Pat steak very dry. Heat oil in skillet until smoking.
Season steak, sear 90 sec/side. Add butter, baste. Rest on paper towels.

3️⃣ Make Cheese Sauce:

Melt butter, whisk in flour + spices → cook 1 min.
Slowly whisk in milk/cream → simmer until thickened.
Remove from heat, stir in cheeses until smooth.

4️⃣ Combine & Serve:

Toss pasta with sauce. Fold in most steak bites.
Broil 3 mins with reserved steak + extra cheese on top!

Notes

✅ Room temp milk = no lumpy sauce!
✅ Undercook pasta slightly—it keeps cooking in sauce.
✅ Slice steak against the grain for tender bites.

Nutrition

Calories: 540 cal Per Serving
Fat: 30g
Carbohydrates: 35g
Protein: 33g