Meatball Mac & Cheese

Comfort food is a staple in my house. Some people have a more stringent definition of what comfort food is – but for me, it’s any food that makes you feel like you are home. Basically any types of food that you can taste the love in. This Meatball Mac & Cheese is exactly that. You can taste the care taken to make the meatballs and love whisked into the simple cheese sauce. It just tastes like home.

I almost always prefer to combine pork and beef for my meatballs, burgers and meatloaves. They complement each other so well. I also really love using crushed up pork rinds instead of bread crumbs – it helps me stick with my semi-keto lifestyles. I also just like that it gives it just an extra layer of flavor.

Honestly, being able to scratch make mac and cheese is something every human should conquer. Because, first, it’s really not that hard, and second, everyone needs mac and cheese on a hard day. This is the simplest, tried and true mac & cheese recipe that can be used for so many things. Check in out on a burger in my Mac & Cheese Burger recipe.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Meatball Mac & Cheese

Add something extra to the classic mac & cheese with delicious meatballs

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword baked mac & cheese, bakes, casseroles, cheese, mac & cheese, meatballs, Pasta, pasta dishes

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 15oz can Diced Tomatoes
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese
• 1 tsp Parsley
• 1 lb Short Pasta shells, macaroni, rotini, etc.

For the Meatballs

• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 1 lb Ground Pork
• 1 cup Pork Rinds crushed
• ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
• 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder

For Cheese Sauce

• 4 tbsp Butter
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 4 tsp Flour
• 2 cup Chicken Broth
• 1 cup Heavy Creame
• 2 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded

Instructions

• Prepare all of the ingredients. Preheat oven to 400def. Start water boiling for pasta.
• In a bowl, combine meatball ingredients. Form into 1-inch meatballs. Line out on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Put in oven and back for 10 minutes.
• Add pasta to boiling water. Cook for 4 minutes less than directed on package. Drain in colander and rinse with cool water.
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add butter and garlic powder. Once melted, whisk in flour and cook for 3 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in heavy cream and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in cheese and cook cook for 3 minutes.
• Add diced tomatoes to 13×9 baking dish. Pour pasta over top. Add cooked meatballs to dish. Pour cheese sauce over and stir to combine. Sprinkle with additional cheese and parsley. Place in oven and cook for 20 minutes.
• Let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.