Pimento Mac and Cheese Casserole

Pimento Mac and Cheese Casserole. Two southern classics collide in this epic food mashup! It’s a cheesy casserole your whole family will love! It can be prepared ahead and then baked when ready!

One of the most quintessential American dishes is the casserole. While they’ve actually been around for centuries, they gained popularity in the 1950s and remain popular to this day.

People love them for several reasons: they are economical, easy to make and have relatively easy clean up. They can also be made ahead of time, are easy to transport and the flavor combinations are essentially endless.

They are especially popular in Southern cuisine and today I am combining two southern classics into one cheesy, baked comforting dish: Pimento Mac and Cheese Casserole.

What ingredients do you need for Pimento Mac and Cheese?

• CREAM CHEESE: You want it to be at room temperature. When it is soft will blend better.
• EXTRA SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE: Extra sharp has a little more bite than medium cheddar. The flavor doesn’t get lost in the cheese sauce.
• PIMENTOS: You can find them in the condiment section, near the pickles at your grocery store. Make sure they are well drained.
• GRANULATED GARLIC
• CREOLE SEASONING: Use your favorite blend or make your own.
• CAYENNE PEPPER: This adds a bit of a kick to the recipe. If you’re using a spicy creole seasoning, you might not need this.
• MAYONNAISE: The extra oil in the mayo makes this a bit creamier. Don’t leave it out. If you’re worrying about tasting it, you won’t.
• ELBOW MACARONI: You could also use shells or penne pasta too.
• ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE: Adds a kick too! And makes this mac and cheese casserole even more hearty.
• PANKO: This is to give the top a little bit of a crunch factor.

How do you make Pimento Mac and Cheese?

• STEP #1: Cook macaroni according to package instructions and drain.
• STEP #2: While the macaroni is cooking, make the pimento cheese. You make this by combining the softened cream cheese, 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar, pimentos, granulated garlic, cayenne pepper and mayonnaise in a bowl. Mix it really well.
• STEP #3: Add the cooked elbow macaroni and andouille sausage and mix well.
• STEP #4: Spread the casserole into a casserole dish. Top with remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar.
• STEP #5: In a small bowl combine, panko, oil and creole seasoning. Sprinkle on casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until edges are bubbly and top has browned.

Can you make casserole ahead of time?

Yes! Make it to the point just before baking then cover and refrigerate it. Remove it from the refrigerator 20-ish minutes before you want to bake it so it can come up to room temperature. It might take a little longer to cook since it will be cold but not much.

This Pimento Mac and Cheese is one of our staple meals now! I love how easy it make. I love that you only dirty a bowl and a casserole dish. And my family loves how hearty and cheesy it is.

I’m pretty sure your family will too!

Looking for vegetable side dishes to serve with this casserole? Here are some great options:

• Southern Green Beans with Bacon
• Okra and Tomatoes
• Sauteed Broccoli

Pimento Mac and Cheese Casserole

Pimento Mac and Cheese Casserole. Two southern classics collide in this epic food mashup! It's a cheesy casserole your whole family will love!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine American

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 793 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Ingredients:

• ▢ 8 ounces elbow macaroni
• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• ▢ 3 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese divided
• ▢ 4 ounces pimentos drained
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• ▢ 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• ▢ 13.5 ounces andouille sausage cut into coins or half moons
• ▢ 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon creole seasoning
• ▢ 1 tablespoon oil canola, vegetable or olive

Instructions

 

• ▢
  Cook macaroni according to package instructions and drain.
• ▢
  While the macaroni is cooking, make the pimento cheese. You make this by combining the softened cream cheese, 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar, pimentos, granulated garlic, cayenne pepper and mayonnaise in a bowl. Mix it really well.
• ▢
  Add the cooked elbow macaroni and andouille sausage and mix well.
• ▢
  Spread the casserole into a baking dish. Top with remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar.
• ▢
  In a small bowl combine, panko, oil and creole seasoning. Sprinkle on casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until edges are bubbly and top has browned.

Notes

If you make this ahead of time and refrigerate it, it may take longer to cook. Allowing it to come up to room temperature before cooking will help that.

To make this vegetarian, simply remove the andouille sausage. It will still be fab!

Nutrition

Calories: 793kcalCarbohydrates: 42.8gProtein: 28.6gFat: 56.3gSaturated Fat: 22.8gCholesterol: 134mgSodium: 1557mgFiber: 2.5gSugar: 5.8g

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Keywords: casserole