Make Smoked Cheddar Black Pepper Mac 'n Cheese

The pairing of black pepper and cheddar is one that is longstanding, and for good reasonits special! It goes back to the days when I used to come home from school and make myself mac n cheese from the blue box. And always, always was there tons of black pepper cracked into the pot and even more on top for garnish. I used to sit in front of the television so content, watching a half hour or so of TV before it was time to do my homework.

Homework is the one element of school life that I do not miss. Sometimes I wonder if it was really needed, if it made the difference in my education, or if that time after school wouldve been better spent doing more artistic things that would have developed my mind in other ways. Perhaps Im a little hippie-dippy in my thoughts but I think I wouldve benefited from doing more art as a kid and teenager. And not just tragic arts and crafts for my parents fridge, but sculpting, ceramics, painting, dance.

Regardless of what my after school agenda couldve been, I guessing my love for blue box mac n cheese with lots of black pepper wouldve been the same. This is somewhat of a grown-up version. It uses smoked cheddar, so good! The smokey flavor works wonders with a teeny bit of Dijon mustard, dried thyme and black pepper. The bread crumbs on top give you that needed much needed, super delightful texture. I opted to put them in little cast iron pots for a personal serving size experience, but feel free to transfer it to a baking dish for an old school style. Either way will result in a cheesy, decadent, peppery experience with lots carbs. My favorite!

Adrianna Adarme is a food blogger and author living in Los Angeles, California. She writes the blog A Cozy Kitchen, where she shares comforting, everyday recipes from her kitchen. She recently authored her first cookbook, PANCAKES: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack. She's a lover of breakfast, pie (and sometimes even pie for breakfast), corgis and cute things. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.