Local woman wins utlimate cooking challenge on

None — A local blogger and chef from Concord, N.C. competed in the "Ultimate Viewer Cook-off" on The Nate Berkus Show .

Monique Kilgore's mac and cheese impressed host Nate Berkus and celebrity chef Curtis Stone enough to move her into the final cooking challenge.

It was during the final challenge where Monique showed her true cooking prowess, earning her the $1000 grand prize. The Nate Berkus Show airs weekdays at Noon on TV64 and weeknights at 1:00 a.m. on Channel 9. Want the mac and cheese recipe? Here it is!

MONIQUE'S (DIVAS CAN COOK) SOULFUL BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

INGREDIENTS

6 cups water (for boiling pasta). 6 cups chicken broth (for boiling pasta). 3 cups elbows chifferi pasta, uncooked. 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream. 1 1/2 cups whole milk. 8 oz. Velveeta, cut into tiny cubes. 1 cup colby-moneterey jack cheese blend, shredded. 1/2 cup mild cheddar, shredded. 1/2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded. 1/2 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded. 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt. 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. 2 eggs, lightly beaten. 1 cup smoked sharp cheddar cheese. DIRECTIONS Preheat Oven To 350. 1.) In a large pot, bring water and chicken broth to a boil. 2.) Add pasta and cook for 6-7 minutes, or until almost al dente. 3.) Drain pasta. 4.) Spread pasta in a buttered 9 x 9 casserole dish. Set aside. 5.) In a large bowl, add heavy whipping cream, whole milk, Velveeta, colby-monterey, mild cheddar, sharp cheddar, white cheddar, seasoning salt and black pepper. 6.) Stir to combine. 7.) Stir in the beaten eggs until well incorporated. 8.) Pour the wet mixture over the pasta. 9.) Toss the pasta gently if needed. 10.) Cover the top with smoked sharp cheddar cheese. 11.) Bake for 30-35 minutes. 12.) Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes before eating.

Find more recipes from Monique at www.divascancook.com

WSOC