Korean-Style Turkey Mac & Cheese (Printable)

Creamy cheddar macaroni crowned with sweet-spicy gochujang turkey, garnished with scallions.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta & Cheese

01 - 10 oz elbow macaroni
02 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
04 - 2 cups whole milk
05 - 1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
06 - ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
07 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
08 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
09 - ½ tsp salt

→ Korean-Style Turkey

10 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil
11 - 14 oz ground turkey
12 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
13 - 1 tbsp ginger, grated
14 - 2 tbsp gochujang
15 - 1 tbsp soy sauce
16 - 1 tbsp honey
17 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
18 - 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

→ Garnish

19 - 3 scallions, thinly sliced
20 - 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink, approximately 5 minutes.
03 - Add minced garlic and grated ginger to the turkey and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Stir in gochujang, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture thickens and becomes glossy. Remove from heat and keep warm.
05 - In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux base.
06 - Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
07 - Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
08 - Combine the drained macaroni with the cheese sauce, mixing thoroughly to coat all pasta evenly.
09 - Divide the mac and cheese among serving bowls. Top each portion with a generous spoonful of the Korean-style turkey crumbles.
10 - Top with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually spent less than an hour, which is a beautiful kind of kitchen magic.
  • The contrast between creamy, mild mac and cheese and spicy-sweet turkey crumbles keeps every bite surprising and never boring.
  • It feeds four people without making you feel like you're cooking for a crowd, and somehow feels both comforting and adventurous at the same time.
02 -
  • The moment you add cold milk to a hot roux, the temperature drops and the starch stops thickening—this is why whisking constantly matters, because you're keeping the mixture warm and coaxed into the right texture.
  • Gochujang is salty and so is soy sauce, which is why I go easier on the added salt than most recipes suggest; taste before you season more, because you can always add but you can't take it back.
03 -
  • Don't let your milk scald while you're making the roux—keep the heat at medium and medium-high, not high, because scorched milk will taste bitter and ruin everything you've built.
  • If the cheese sauce breaks and gets grainy, take it off heat immediately and whisk in a splash of cold milk while whisking hard; sometimes you can save it this way.
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