Easy mac n cheese baked recipe

It has the perfect consistency and so creamy. It was a big hit and absolutely no leftovers. Thank you very much! I made this recipe because there was an aged cheddar on sale at the grocery store. I could not have imagined a better use for this cheese. I also used some asiago on hand. My husband, coworkers, I absolutely loved it. I just made this my first attempt at mac n cheese and it turned out perfect!

Thanks for sharing. I made this tonight,and it definitely was a hit! Will make it again for sure. Thank you for sharing your oh so delicious recipe! The recipe is good but I cut everything connected to sause and topping in half cheese, butter, milk, cream etc — and it turned out great! Just the right amount of creamyness and cheesyness. Made this tonight. Only had American and Cheddar cheese, used Italian bread crumbs on the top but followed your instructions.

I have make home made Mac and Cheese with wonderful results but this with the paprika and a bit of garlic powder…. Made it for the first time tonight. It is a keeper! I made this for the first time last night. Keeper for sure! I made mine with 4 different cheddar cheeses and smoked gouda and it was absolutely the best! I went very well with my smoked brisket and baked beans! Made this Mac and cheese for Christmas- it was delish!

New addition for the holidays everyone loved it. Used sharp Cheddar and Gruyere. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. My husband liked it better before I baked it. Can I make this up until the baking part and hold it in a warm crock pot for a party? Will it separate after a couple hours??? Loved loved loved this recipe! My family and I were out of town for Christmas and we voted on making a home made mac n cheese as a dinner side.

When this one came up in the search and I saw who made it, I just knew I had to try it! It was even better as left overs! The cheese sauce turned out perfect and was not at all greasy probably because we switched the cheese amounts. I served it with toppings of red onion, bacon, and avocado and again, positive reviews from a very picky foodie family! Thank you for sharing your amazing recipe! This is my new favorite mac n cheese recipe now! I did three layers and used the whole wheat elbow macaroni.

I made it for our Christmas dinner and everyone loved it. I have requests to make it again. The combination of Gruyere and extra sharp cheddar is amazing. My husband is eating the leftovers now and all I hear are oooohs and ahhs. Very confusing, what about the other 2 cups?

You add the liquid in stages so it develops into a smoother sauce. She mixed the two milks. She poured in 2 cups of the mixture, mixed it into the butter and flour mixture, then she poured the rest of the milk that would be the other 2 cups of mixed milk. Made this for Thanksgiving and family said that this was the best dish of all over turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, etc..! Then made it for Christmas and they all went on about how this needs to be at every family holiday.

Saving as my go to recipe from now on!! This recipe turned out so well and was super easy. I served it at a big work Christmas party and it was a huge hit. Slight variations I Made due to what I had available: Added the beau monde seasoning with the spices and topped with bacon chives and Italian bread crumbs. I never write reviews but this time i had to. Very creamy, not dry at all. Great taste. I made it today for Christmas and everyone loves it! Thank you for sharing your recipe. This is a great recipe.

Even my finicky eating daughter enjoyed it. I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 because I think adding a layer of cheese in between the pasta mixture was too much cheese. I made this macaroni and cheese for Christmas Eve. It was fantastic. My brothers are very picky when it comes to mac and cheese, and they both loved it. Thanks so much! My grandma made the best Mac n cheese ever.

Made for the family on Christmas Eve and got lots of compliments and I loved it as well. I did add a little more milk than called for and also added a little bit of Velveeta in the layers. Will only use this recipe from now on! I just made this for a party thing at my job and doubled the recipe and it was amazing. My boss and even some co worker was saying they loved it so much.

I made this for my five grown up children who were home for a long Christmas weekend. It was a huge success! Easy to make with very few ingredients. Can you tell me where you buy this cheese? I just finished preparing the make-ahead version and plan to bake it in the morning and transfer to my crock pot to keep warm for a work potluck…fingers crossed! I taste tested it before baking and it was fabulous.

When I baked it, it still tasted great but the cheese was very stringy and not the smooth texture of the cheese sauce that I mixed into the macaroni. Is this dish normally very stringy after baking? If not, any ideas on where I went wrong. Thank you. It sounds like your cheese separated a bit during the baking process. Completely melting the cheese into the milk mixture will help reduce the probability of a grainy sauce. Any advise for this recipe?

Should I just stick to GF flour instead using an Italian knock-off solution? As a side dish, yes, doubling should be good for about 20 people. As a main dish, it will probably feed The sauce may separate a little bit, but should come together with a good whisking. Made it exactly as written and it was perfect. Thank you so so so much for this amazing recipe. Would you recommend hand shredding the cheeses? Do you see any benefit over just buying already shredded? Also, just out of curiosity…why half and half vs. Does it get any less creamy do the noodles soak up the liquid and dry out if you make it the night before and heat it up the day of?

I definitely recommend shredding your own cheeses. Pre-packaged cheeses are coated with a cellulose powder to prevent clumping in the bags, and it prevents them from melting evenly in the sauce. My personal favorite is 2 cups half and half, 2 cups heavy whipping cream. Definitely rich! I just made it for the family and they loved it!!! This will be my go to recipe from now on. Any advise? Or just stick to baking it? Usually crockpot mac and cheese recipes use different ingredients. Lobsterman here! Unless you like the rubbery taste.

Thank your for the response to adding lobster. I made it for Christmas and it was a hit. I actually steamed 4 lobster tails for 8 mins. I cut them into pieces and layered the pieces in the middle of the pasta cream sauce mixture. It came out great. Hi, I have yet to try this but it looks amazing. Would adding cream cheese make this better do you think? I am not worried about calories or anything like that- I just want my Mac and cheese to stand out at my next work party! Or would you suggest adding more cheese? More half and half? Whatever will make this better in any way!!

Cheesy, gooey and tasty. This was the first I came upon and have looked no further. You had me hook line and sinker with the Gruyere cheese. I send several pans requested by my daughter each time she returns to college. I added pancetta, substituted fresh cream for the half and half and added a dollop of Dijon mustard but otherwise stuck to the recipe. Best mac n cheese ever!

Yes you can! Then cool completely and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake at or for around 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. This is by far the best mac and cheese recipe i have ever encountered! I mixed the bread crumbs with melted butter and spread it on top of the mac and cheese and it browned in the oven. Very creamy and yummy! I Followed the recipe exactly and topped with grated cheese, my family absolutely loved this and so did I! What a talented lady, so glad I found this website and this recipe! Amazing Mac and cheese recipe!

Thank you for sharing with us!!! I give 6 out of 5!!!! That good. This is so delicious! Heaven forbid, that I should bring anything else, if I do they ask where that wonderful mac and cheese is. I just gave up and I make it every month.

Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Made this for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! We reheated the leftovers for two additional meals and still delish! I used sharp white cheddar , gruyere, and mild cheddar. Will definitely make again! I made this dish for Thanksgiving and it was defiantly a hit, so amazing! I do have a question though, I was wanting to make it again but not bake it. When doing that do your just mix all 6 cups of cheese into the cheese sauce or how do you handle that?

Thank you in advance!! So glad you loved it! My entire family enjoyed this. Those are in quotes because I actually used much more! I used whipping cream instead of half and half. It was just soooooo good. Will be my future go to mac and cheese recipe!! Thank you so much! I absolutely love this recipe but recently doubled it and made way too much. So glad you love it! This recipe was perfect! Made it for thanksgiving and everyone loved it. Thanks for the great recipe!! Took a chance and made this on Thanksgiving for everyone. Went with the five cheese option. Came out perfectly and everyone absolutely loved it!

So amazingly creamy and smooth! Thanks for a great recipe. Because of this super Mac and cheese dish I made it according to your recipe, finishing with a short broil for the crust I have been forgiven for the squash dip I made last Thanksgiving. This recipe super rocked our thanksgiving dinner spread. I used the suggested cheese variations and I substituted paprika for smoked paprika and added just a lil cayenne for a hint of kick.

My family loved it! It will continue to be my go to Mac n cheese recipe. Thank you for posting this recipe. Made this for Thanksgiving and it was a hit. Came out exactly like the pictures. I used 3 different cheeses and added a little garlic powder and mustard powder to the sauce. Baked it for 15 minutes and switched to broil for another 2 minutes and it had the perfect crust on top.

I found this way fit me by using mid cheddar with rotini. My little sister is really in love with this. I see some try with milk comments, but what kind of milk for the best taste? Thank you by the way! If i follow your recipe exactly how much cheddar vs gruyere am i supposed to use in the sauce and layered?

I normally follow my own recipe but decided to try this one for Turkey Day. It melts better and is fresher, easy enough to do if you have a food processor with the blade. The sample dish we made was so much better. It was very good, just not as good as the fresh test pan we made the night before. Next time I will top it with bacon and sauteed onions. I made this yesterday for Thanksgiving dinner and it was a hit! I was going to call her and let her know, but I remembered that her phone was dead.. We served it at our family Thanksgiving dinner and it was a huge hit!!

Very easy and super delicious! A hit for our Thanksgiving, thank you! Topped mine with shredded cheese as per recipe, plus buttered and herbed bread crumbs. I am sooo glad I found this recipe! Made it today for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! I will favorite for all future get togethers! It was perfection!

Thanks again! This was delicious, easy to make and makes plenty, and also came out beautifully. I used sharp cheddar and muenster. Very please. If i only have 2 cups of cheddar worth an 2 cups of mexican blend cheese would that still work?

Baked Mac and Cheese - Dinner, then Dessert

If not i also have mozzarella so how would i split all 3? Just made this following your exact recipe with extra baking time… amazing!! Thank you for sharing, its an ansolute hit. So if I dont have the 2 day head start will it still be okay or should I just try a different recipe?. I am making this right now for Thanksgiving. Looks delicious. Gruyere cheese was a little pricey and hard to find, but I think it will be worth it. Always looking for a creamy macaroni and cheese recipe, so hope this makes the cut!!!

Will let you know tonight!!! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!! If I pre-make this for dinner tonight, will the pasta absorb the sauce or will it retain its creaminess? I ask because it has happened to me in the past! I skipped the salt in step 6. I thought the measurement of salt was for step 2 boiling water. Anyway to add it after the fact? Can I use evaporated milk? She got sharp cheddar cheese that was aged for 6 months by accident. Will that still work? This looks absolutely delicious! I am making this tonight — hopefully. I realized it is saying whole milk.

I have all of the other ingredients mentioned just do not have whole milk— will that make such a big difference? I just made this for the 1st time. It is sooo delicious. It did! I am going to serve it tomorrow. Thanks for the yummy recipe! Hello Chef I add some sort of veggie when I use this recipe…asparagus and broccoli today. Its pretty awesome! Im very excited about this recipe but even more then excited, I am comfortable with this recipe. The way you lay out the ingredients, the instructions both make sense and flow. Thank you for making something simple and easy1.

Amazing recipe! Said it was fire, on point, amazing, delicious, and so much more! Thank you for posting this. I learned A LOT from your recipe. Never have I ever used Gruyere cheese, which is now my fav thank you, and I must say it is magical regardless of the sticker price. It was worth it. I doubled the recipe for my potluck and am making it again for my family tomorrow. I will also be doubling the recipe for my family, but I am making two of the double recipe which is why I say Gruyere cheese is pricey.

However, I would spend it all again because it was definitely worth it. I cannot wait to make it again. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing! Awesome recipe! There are a lot of steps involved, but if i can make it, anyone can! Made it for July 4th for the first time and it was a hit. Everyone is asking for this on Thanksgiving tomorrow! Just put this together and keeping it in the fridge until Thanksgiving tomorrow! I gave it a taste before covering it and OMG!!! When adding bacon to the top of macaroni and cheese with the bread crumbs..

I do have whole milk and buttermilk on hand as well as cream cheese. Can I make this recipe work with that? Would it be a sin if I added half a can of cheddar soup? This recipe looks Delicious! Making it tomorrow for Thanksgiving. I made it on Sunday! And my family ate it many times in one day without any complaints!! I was so happy!

Thank you so much!! Looking forward to seeing another wonderful version of food from you Have a nice day! I like American cheese. Think I could do it with American and cheddar? This looks fabulous!! I am going to make this on Thursday. So excited. My question is is it okay to make in a foil pan? If so, do I need to adjust the cook time? Has anyone added extra pasta or is the saucyness enough? Looks very saucy so I was wondering if anyone has added more pasta leaving same ingredients….

Could you tell me what I could substitute the Gruyere cheese with? Can you add egg to this dish????? This recipe uses a roux butter fat and flour mixed together to thicken the sauce and bind the ingredients together. You might want to scroll through the comments and see if any other readers have successfully done it.

I just made this recipe this morning for a work potluck and I made it in a crockpot. However, I made it slightly differently in order to keep the oven-baked goodness. So, I made the recipe like normal, then poured it into the crockpot stoneware and placed that in the oven for about min degrees. Then, when I pulled it out of the oven I placed it into the heating base and took it in to work.

Once at work, I plugged it in and left it on Low for a while, then reverted to Warm. Based on comments from coworkers it was a success! I love this recipe! I make this all the time, it is my absolute favorite! I have a question though… I am looking to make this to bring to a family thanksgiving dinner and as you know oven space is precious. Would I be able to make this and layer it with all of its cheesy goodness in a crockpot?

Put it on low for maybe a couple of hours? What are your thoughts? Thanks so much for an amazing recipe! So glad you love it!! This has helped me out for potlucks and family gatherings where I wanted the baked texture but wanted to be able to keep it warm for a time as well. Any recommendations on ingredients to feed around 15?

I read the secret to creamy macaroni and cheese is to cook in stovetop and not to bake it. Can I use your recipe but cook on stovetop. I dislike a crunchy top and a casserole like consistency. Flour is added to the melted butter to form a roux, which thickens the half and half and milk to make a thick cheesy sauce. One last question, will using self rising flour make a difference? Or should I go buy all purpose? I intend to make this as a side for thanksgiving.

A quick question. I make another mac and cheese with a smoked cheddar and smoked paprika as I like the smokiness taste. Will this flow well with the Gruyere cheese? One more thing — if I top with some Panko bread crumbs should I bake them with the dish or add them after baking? Thanks a lot! I think smoked cheddar and smoked paprika would be amazing with the gruyere! Love this recipe! Thank you for sharing! Thanks for the tips! I plan to make it for thanksgiving because it was a delicious and an easy recipe to follow.

So delicious!! It came out great and everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing your recipe! I have tried EVERY mac n cheese recipe out there to try and find the right amount of gooey cheesiness and pasta heaven. I even tried NYT recipe that used cottage cheese and mustard, etc. But THIS recipe has been our favorite find and we will not use another recipe again. My children loved it.

And they are picky teenagers. One is even in culinary school. I made it last Thanksgiving and all the guests loved it. The gruyere and half and half are the magic to this dish. The gruyere can be a bit stinky but it is oh so yummy! Thank you, thank you for this recipe! This is the Mac andCheese recipe I have waited for my whole life.

It is the bomb. Was trying different recipes for my husbands office party and this was by far the best! Easy to make AND delicious! Took the trial run over to the in-laws and they took some for the next day! Have you ever assembled this dish a day prior and baked day-of?

What could I have done wrong? It started out pretty moist but not as moist as the picture. Could that be it? Tastes wonderful though! You could always use a little more liquid and make the sauce a tad looser, but any dish that sits out for an hour will be different than when freshly baked, unfortunately. Can I make this and then put it in a slow cooker for a work party? I would maybe add a little more liquid so the sauce is a tad looser before it goes into the crockpot. My husband has requested it for dinner again tomorrow.

I used a combination of sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, and parmesan cheeses, as that is what I had on hand.

I grated the cheeses — — — did not buy packaged. I think this makes a big difference. I also added 1 tsp. It came out creamy and perfect! This recipe was awesome! This is THE one. I have already made the recipe twice. However the gruyere was expensive so I purchased mozzarella to sub for 2 cups of the gruyere. So total it would be 8 cups medium cheddar, 2 cups gruyere, and 2 cups mozarella. Will this work? That should work great!! This was so delicious! I have to save some for my son. Can I freeze it and let him have it next week?

Yes, you can freeze this mac and cheese. Just let it cool completely, and place in an airtight container in the freezer. Let thaw in the refrigerator for hours, then let sit on the counter for bit to come to room temperature. Bake at for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly and hot throughout. I have made mac and cheese the same way for 40 years.

Mine called for eggs. Used the last egg for dessert. Found your recipe looking for no egg recipe. Just took it out of the oven and had to try it. After reading lots of the reviews, this recipe seems to be the best ever. The only problem I have is that where I live we usually use grams to measure the ingredients. Do you by any chance have them in grams? I know I could find a way to convert but it might not be the same. Thank you for your prompt reply.

How can prepare half and half? I have checked online: Ill have to check in our stores if we have that kind here. Several years ago I stumbled upon a conversion website that will always be bookmarked in all of my wifi devices. Here it is: This looks so yummy and I want to make it right now. Any suggestions? When you melt the butter in the saucepan, you could add the onion and saute it for a few minutes, then add the flour to make the roux.

I think that would be amazing! I want to make this for our Christmas party. I would need to make 4 batches, so you think I could put it in a roaster??? I never write reviews but I just had to for this one because my entire family loved this, and I have one insanely picky eater. I baked at for about 18 min. Really good! First mac and cheese recipe that I have ever bookmarked! I made it exactly like the recipe says, I added panko and butter to the top. Next time, I will personalize it! Thanks for sharing a great recipe! I just made this for dinner, it was a big hit with my boys.

I made it with smoked gruyere because that was the only thing I could get my hands on and sharp cheddar, but it was so good. Thank you for the recipe I cannot wait to make it again. My kids loved it, my mom loved it, and I loved it! This will be the only way I make Mac and Cheese from now on. Can I just use the bags of already shredded cheese? Or does the block cheese being shredded taste better? Pre-shredded cheese is coated with cellulose to keep it from clumping together, and that can make the cheese not melt as well into the cheese sauce, unfortunately.

When cooking the cheese sauce, it could look like something has gone wrong when the cheese starts to melt and pull together like a sticky glob. Not to worry! I am happy that I placed my dish on a sheet pan lined with foil because it definitely ran over mostly oil from the cheeses. I also added about a tablespoon of smoked paprika and used gouda as one of my cheeses for that smokey taste. It sliced instead of being runny and it was soooo good! I found my love, this is it for Me! Hooray for a gorgeous recipe with glorious reviews!

Thank you!!! That is totally on my list to try soon! My husband loves to smoke things. Would you make this ahead then just place the finished product in the smoker instead of putting in the oven to bake?? I would assemble the mac and cheese, then smoke it at or degrees for about minutes. Just WOW! How do you keep the sauce from getting grainy?

Is there any specific brand of cheese I should use? Perhaps try a mild cheddar, or even swap out part of the cheddar for American or Velveeta. Those cheeses have added emulsifiers that help keep a sauce together. Half and half is found in the dairy section by the milk and cream in grocery stores here in the US. Alternatively you could use a mixture of milk and heavy cream just make sure it comes to a total of 4 cups. It melted nicely. My sister and I could not stop eating it. I have already sent it to all the women in my family I used sharp cheddar and Swiss cheese in mine.

Everybody was more into the Mac then the main dish! I would give it 10 stars if I could!! Thank you so much for the recipe!! Oh so amazing!!! That would be a fabulous choice! Thank you so much for your response! Our daughter is shredding the cheese, as we speak! Thanks, too, for the video! After being refridgerated, will the oils separate like they would for leftovers??

And after sitting, will the cheese sauce be pooling in the bottom?? Umm, this recipe is bomb. I served this to a group of hungry church people at a bible study. I served barbecue brisket and had hot cinnamon apples and this amazing Mac and cheese. People went crazy. Do you know how to get a group of baptists to be quiet? You put an awesome homemade Mac and cheese plate in front of them.

Trying this recipe tonight! Thinking of adding some mozz too! I only know what it is as I lived in the mid-west for 15 years …. I usually reheat the leftovers in a frying pan on high heat to get some extra crispy parts. I typically do not like recipe websites because of all the garbage before the actual recipe, but yours was actually good information to have!

Thanks for sharing! I wish I had found some gruyere cheese but I just used provolone and sharp cheddar. These directions are not specific enough!!! You must not be reading the actual recipe… step 3 says exactly how many cups of cheese for the sauce, inner layer, and topping. Thank you very much for this recipe!! My family loves it and I will be making it today, again!! After making only once before it officially became my go to Mac and Cheese recipe!!

And I truly enjoy all of what your post has to say. Not just the recipe! Thank you so much Nancy, that means a lot to me! I really think for many readers you would be much more effective if you kept to the recipe. We are not interested in all the rest, including your personal life. This is my website, which I run… so I will include anything I would like. Oh, my…OH, MY! WTF are you talking about? I read the whole post and everything she wrote had something to do with the food. You sound really bitter and sad.

MM, do not presume that you speak for the mass audience here. Well that was a rude comment.

Top Navigation

I always read through a whole post because often there are anecdotes that help me understand the recipe better. I roasted up all the veggies from my garden, used. My family is small. I made this incredible recipe and they loved it, however, now I need to figure out how to reheat the left overs without getting a greasy mess.

Suggestions please…. Unfortunately, reheating the butter and cheese tends to separate the oils from the fat. Are you microwaving the leftovers? Half and half is a dairy product found in grocery stores. Hello Amanda, I was looking for this cheese and mac recipe. I will try this next week. Too many choices here. You can use this or that cheese, use handfuls??? Sort of guesswork to follow.

Hi Jannette… did you even scroll down to read the actual recipe? The post itself does not give out the exact recipe, as that is contained in the recipe card towards the end of the post. The full recipe lists exact measurements. For anyone who likes things a little spicy, I highly recommend adding just a bit of cayenne or Tabasco to this recipe. The addition elevated this already great dish for me. You might want to bake it a little longer too. Stir the cheese sauce with the pasta, transfer to a baking dish, cool completely, then cover with foil and freeze for up to months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake at for minutes. Absolutely you can freeze mac and cheese. Cover the surface with waxed or parchment paper, then wrap tightly with aluminum foil. Made this at our last BBQ.

• Can I freeze macaroni and cheese?;
• Southern Baked Mac and Cheese - Immaculate Bites;
• apple mac pro g5 specs;
• Explore Southern Living.
• Ingredients.

It was a hit. Making it again today for a BBQ. Thank you for posting. Super, super creamy and just lovely. Very easy to make. Made this last night and it was fantastic. Everyone loved it. This will be my new go to recipe for mac n cheese! Best recipe ever! Do not skip the Gruyere cheese, even though it is expensive. This recipe makes enough to feed 6 at least. They will rave about this! Can this be done in a crock pot.. This is amazing! It still turned out really good. Hi Meri, half and half is a dairy product, found in near the milk and heavy cream in grocery stores.

Made this dish for Easter two weeks ago and the family just requested to have it again. Simple and easy, I used Smokey Gouda and sharp white cheddar and Gruyere.

This recipe was awesome. The top on dish was just as you said it would be, a nice cheesy crust- beautiful. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I made this dish yesterday for Easter and it was a hit!! Love this recipe!! This looks fabulous! I will be making this this weekend for Easter! Do you think I could make this ahead of time the night before without baking and then bake it on Sunday?

I wanted to make this so bad but I cannot eat grains so I made a compromise. How-To Video recipes. Build-a-Meal Find recipes with ingredients that you have on hand. Eggs Milk Flour. Read More. Sign Up for our Newsletter Join our newsletter for free recipes, healthy living inspiration, and special offers.

Sign up. It is better than my Mom's and this year we will be adding Wright's Bacon to the top w some extra cheese!! Still don't know if I did something wrong. Yes, this is delicious! Double it for a crowd. Also, a teaspoon of dry mustard and touch of garlic powder for zip. So so good. I doubled the cheese as suggested by the comments and used Panko on the top. I used Cabot Extra Sharp cheese and Penne pasta. I was out of milk but had heavy cream, so I used half cream and half water.

Some of the best Mac and cheese I have ever had. This turned out great! I used bacon everywhere since my son loves it. So 4 pieces bacon crumbled in the cheese sauce and 4 pieces bacon crumbled with breadcrumbs on top i used all the cheese in the sauce. In place of the milk I used 2 cups chicken broth and used white pepper and no red pepper. I haven't baked it yet but prior to baking it tasted amazing! I had to force myself to stop so there'd be plenty for dinner.

Thanks for the quick and easy basic recipe! I followed the recipe exactly, except I left out the red pepper. It turned our really, really good. I will definitely make this again. Felt that the ground red pepper overpowered the dish.