• Serves 4–6
• 40 minutes
• Uses: Traditional Kimchi

Inspired by the kimchi mac and beef chef Esther Choi of NYC's Mokbar shared on Good Morning America. This is our own take.

Ingredients

• 8 oz elbow macaroni
• ½ lb ground beef
• 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar and 1 grated garlic clove (for the beef)
• 1 cup Kimchi Club Traditional Kimchi, chopped, plus 2 tbsp jar juice
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella, divided
• 1 tsp gochujang (optional)
• ¼ cup panko and sliced scallions, for the top

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Cook the macaroni 2 minutes less than the package says, then drain.
2. Brown the beef in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the soy sauce, sugar and garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the kimchi and cook 3 minutes. Scoop it all into a bowl.
3. In the same skillet, melt the butter, whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and simmer until thickened, about 4 minutes.
4. Off the heat, stir in the cheddar, half the mozzarella, the kimchi juice and gochujang. Fold in the pasta and the beef-kimchi mixture.
5. Top with the remaining mozzarella and panko. Bake 15 minutes, until bubbly and golden. Finish with scallions.

Tip: Cooking for kids? Use our White Kimchi for a milder, crunchy-tangy version, and skip the gochujang.