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Hard Rock Cafe Twisted Mac & Cheese Recipe
Hard Rock Cafe Twisted Mac and Cheese
By Todd Wilbur

Recipe Type: Side Dish
Calories: 298
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Recipe Rating: 5.0 (9 reviews)
 
Menu Description: "Twisted cavatappi pasta, tossed in a lightly spiced 3-cheese sauce with roasted red peppers and topped with Parmesan parsley breadcrumbs."

The rock-and-roll theme chain peps up old-school macaroni and cheese with roasted red bell pepper, a breadcrumb topping, and a delicious sauce made from three cheeses. For a home clone of this hip appetizer, I found that it's best to shred your own cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, since the pre-shredded type sold in bags doesn't melt well and you'll likely end up with grainy sauce. Grainy is not good in a sauce. You can use bottled roasted red bell pepper for convenience, or you can roast your own pepper with the tips provided in Tidbits below. And don't worry about tracking down the hard-to-find cavatappi pasta twisted tubes. Any pasta shape will do here, and you may just want to go with the universal mac & cheese standard: Elbow macaroni.
 

Source: "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 3" by Todd Wilbur.
2 cups uncooked cavatappi pasta or elbow macaroni
1/3 cup whole milk
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Linda Skaggs  
Submitted on 05/24/08
This is one of the best recipes ever for mac & cheese. I like to add cut up marinated chicken breast over the top for a complete meal.
Crystal  
Submitted on 05/16/08
This is what I order everytime I go to the HardRock & it's exactly like it! I love it. It's mac & cheese with a kick!
Ashley  
Submitted on 04/30/08
I make this recipe quite often. It's absolutely delicious, my fiancee and I love it. I add a breaded chicken breast (I use the breadcrumbs used in the recipe) sliced on top of the mac and cheese for a little more of a dinner feel. Just as good as Hard Rock's dish.
Amber  
Submitted on 08/14/07
I have made this half a dozen times now and LOVE IT! I found that the most time consuming part was roasting the bell pepper, so I substitued some red pepper seasoning to save time and it was just as good! This really is a great dish.
Vickey  
Submitted on 03/28/07
YUM, this recipe is awesome! I used half regular Monterey Jack and Half with Monterey Jack w/Jalapenos...really, really good. If I hadn't started a diet...I would make this all the time. lol.
Kris  
Submitted on 09/18/06
This recipe is great. I make it about once a week for my three year old and he loves it! It is so easy and quick.
Me  
Submitted on 08/01/06
This makes THE BEST Mac & Cheese I ever had.....Thanks from the whole family...
paimcw  
Submitted on 07/25/06
This is soooo GREAT!!! My 13 year old son is the 'taste-tester', mac & cheese connoisseur & he had seconds!!!!! With salad on the side. He did not even realize that peppers were in it or if he did, he did not mention it. This is an A++++++++++++ recipe especially for finicky eaters!!!
tommye1218  
Submitted on 07/25/06
I used elbow macaroni and followed the recipe--it was delicious! My husband said it was better than the original at Hard Rock!