Ingredients
Scale
- 1 chicken bouillon cube, such as Knorr
- 1 pound large elbow pasta
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded colby jack or pepper jack cheese (for a kick)
- 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, for serving
Instructions
- Fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot with 5 quarts water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the bouillon cube and stir to dissolve. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and slide to the side.
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375.
- In a large bowl, toss together the cheddars, colby jack, Gruyère, and mozzarella until combined.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking continuously, to form a roux, about 1 minute. Whisk in the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, paprika, mustard powder, sugar, nutmeg and cayenne until incorporated. Whisk in the heavy cream, milk, sour cream, Worcestershire and hot sauce until combined, and let the sour cream completely melt into the sauce. Whisk in half the shredded cheese mixture and let it melt completely into creamy deliciousness, whisking all the while. Whisk until the sauce thickens a bit, about 3 minutes, then add the drained pasta and stir to evenly coat it in the sauce.
- Transfer a third of the pasta mixture to a 9x13x2-inch baking pan and top with a third of the remaining cheese mixture, then repeat two more times, finishing with the cheese. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the pasta is golden brown in places and the sauce is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then garnish with chives and serve hot. May the cheese pulls be ever in your favor.