Recipe: Sand Mynock n' Cheese
Published: August 7, 2026
Come join me while I cook through my vast collection of cook books.
Todays recipe is Sand Mynock n’ Cheese from Star Wars The Ultimate Cookbook by Jenn Fujikawa and Marc Sumerak.
This recipe book was a Christmas gift I think, and came with an apron that I couldn't tell you where it ended up but I may take some time to track it down.
I’m not a massive Star Wars fan but I have seen the main movies and enjoyed them. I do however love Porgs. They are one of the cutest fictional birds I’ve ever seen.
The book is very well written and includes a character guide throughout each recipe. Chef Strono Tuggs (or Cookie) takes you on a journey with each recipe. I love that they brought the recipes to life with little stories throughout the book.
Substitutions
The recipe called for 16 ounces of cavatappi pasta which I substituted for freshly made macaroni noodles.
I also didn’t have any seasoning salt so I substituted Donair spice. This felt like a very East Coast move and gave the dish a familiar flair.
Then lastly, I modified the toppings simply because I was low on bread crumbs so I just winged it a little.
Sand Mynock n' Cheese
Pasta
16oz Cavatappi pasta
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups whole milk
1 cup half and half
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
4 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese (1/2 reserved)
2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar (1/2 cup reserved)
Topping
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan
1/2 tsp kosher salt
The reserved cheeses
Instructions
Bring the pasta to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and grease a 9x13 inch pan and set aside.
In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter then whisk in half a cup of flour. Once all combined, add the whole milk and half and half. Mix everything until bubbling.
Add the mustard powder, garlic powder, paprika, seasoning salt and the white pepper.
Mix together all the spices then add 3 1/2 cups of mild cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 cups white cheddar. Leaving the remaining cheese for the top. Mix everything together until its melted and bubbly.
Mix in the pasta then transfer everything into the prepared 9x13 pan. Top with the remaining cheddar cheeses, parmesan and some bread crumbs.
Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven to let the sauce thicken.
Verdict
The smell coming from the oven was intoxicating and I couldn’t wait to dig in. This caused the sauce to still be runny from the heat so it looked like a bowl of slop but it was absolutely delicious. Best slop I’ve eaten in recent memory. Sand Mynock n' Cheese will be made again in this kitchen.
