No matter how many viral mac & cheese recipes I try, El Pollo Loco’s mac & cheese is GOATED. Despite the cheese pull, nothing compares to EPL for me.
No matter how many viral mac & cheese recipes I try, El Pollo Loco’s mac & cheese is GOATED. Despite the cheese pull, nothing compares to EPL for me.
by Rach_CrackYourBible
10 Comments
SnoweyRosey
Wow! This looks amazing!
Rach_CrackYourBible
I have celiac disease which means I have to eat gluten-free PLUS I can’t have ny favorite mac & cheese anymore – El Pollo Loco. The hunt continues because while the viral Tini Younger mac & cheese recipe has a great cheese pull, there weren’t enough seasonings to taste when mixed into 2.5 lbs of cheese + 1 lb of pasta.
As a Celiac, I didn’t want to miss out on trying this recipe, so I subbed gluten-free pasta and gluten-free flour.
I used La Fusilleria di Gragnano’s gluten-free fidanzati pasta because I can’t find gluten-free cavatappi.
**👉 I added Tabasco’s scorpion sauce on top because the seasonings were insufficient for 2.5 lbs of cheese.
🧀 Ingredients: – 1 pound mozzarella cheese – 1 pound Colby Jack cheese – 8 ounces sharp cheddar – 1 pound cavatappi pasta (I used gluten-free fidanzati) – 1 teaspoon garlic powder – 1 teaspoon smoked paprika – 1 teaspoon coarse salt – ½ teaspoon black pepper, ground – 3 tablespoons salted butter – 3 tablespoons AP flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour) – 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk – 2 cups heavy cream – 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard – fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish 2. Cook cavatappi according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. 3. Combine all 3 shredded cheeses in a bowl and divide half into another bowl. Set aside 4. Combine garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Divide in half and set aside. 5. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add half of the season mixture and flour. Stir until the mixture becomes paste-like, about 3-5 minutes. Add evaporated milk and whisk until thick. Add heavy cream and the rest of the seasoning mixture and mix until combined. Whisk in Dijon mustard until thick. Slowly add in half the cheese, allowing it to melt before adding more. 6. Stir in cavatappi until coated with cheese sauce. 7. Add a layer of cavatappi and then a layer of shredded cheese to prepared baking dish. Repeat layers 8. Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 25-30 min. 9. Finish by broiling until top is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Bcon1980
Wow that looks awesome
Able-Tangelo8480
Love that you use the scorpion Tabasco. That’s my fav from them. Also thanks for the recipe. 🫶
BreakBright
That cheese pull is glorious 😂🤤
gefrankl
Tabasco on Mac n Cheese is a must. the vinegary sauce matches so well with the rich cheesiness. so good.
kellymig
It’s been a million years since I’ve had El Pollo Loco, and back then they didn’t have Mac n cheese. This looks great, especially as someone with celiac
notabigmelvillecrowd
More cheese with macaroni than macaroni with cheese.
TrueCrimeGirl01
This is the exact recipe of the viral Tinis Mac and cheese so this is where she must have gotten it from. Interesting. I know because I just made it. I love cheese and mac and cheese and I found it way too rich
honeyandwhiskey
I miss El Pollo Loco so much! If they ever opened a location this far north it would ruin my food budget!
10 Comments
Wow! This looks amazing!
I have celiac disease which means I have to eat gluten-free PLUS I can’t have ny favorite mac & cheese anymore – El Pollo Loco. The hunt continues because while the viral Tini Younger mac & cheese recipe has a great cheese pull, there weren’t enough seasonings to taste when mixed into 2.5 lbs of cheese + 1 lb of pasta.
As a Celiac, I didn’t want to miss out on trying this recipe, so I subbed gluten-free pasta and gluten-free flour.
I used La Fusilleria di Gragnano’s gluten-free fidanzati pasta because I can’t find gluten-free cavatappi.
**👉 I added Tabasco’s scorpion sauce on top because the seasonings were insufficient for 2.5 lbs of cheese.
🧀 Ingredients:
– 1 pound mozzarella cheese
– 1 pound Colby Jack cheese
– 8 ounces sharp cheddar
– 1 pound cavatappi pasta (I used gluten-free fidanzati)
– 1 teaspoon garlic powder
– 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
– 1 teaspoon coarse salt
– ½ teaspoon black pepper, ground
– 3 tablespoons salted butter
– 3 tablespoons AP flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour)
– 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
– 2 cups heavy cream
– 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
– fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish
2. Cook cavatappi according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
3. Combine all 3 shredded cheeses in a bowl and divide half into another bowl. Set aside
4. Combine garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Divide in half and set aside.
5. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add half of the season mixture and flour. Stir until the mixture becomes paste-like, about 3-5 minutes. Add evaporated milk and whisk until thick. Add heavy cream and the rest of the seasoning mixture and mix until combined. Whisk in Dijon mustard until thick. Slowly add in half the cheese, allowing it to melt before adding more.
6. Stir in cavatappi until coated with cheese sauce.
7. Add a layer of cavatappi and then a layer of shredded cheese to prepared baking dish. Repeat layers
8. Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 25-30 min.
9. Finish by broiling until top is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Wow that looks awesome
Love that you use the scorpion Tabasco. That’s my fav from them. Also thanks for the recipe. 🫶
That cheese pull is glorious 😂🤤
Tabasco on Mac n Cheese is a must. the vinegary sauce matches so well with the rich cheesiness. so good.
It’s been a million years since I’ve had El Pollo Loco, and back then they didn’t have Mac n cheese. This looks great, especially as someone with celiac
More cheese with macaroni than macaroni with cheese.
This is the exact recipe of the viral Tinis Mac and cheese so this is where she must have gotten it from. Interesting. I know because I just made it. I love cheese and mac and cheese and I found it way too rich
I miss El Pollo Loco so much! If they ever opened a location this far north it would ruin my food budget!