December 14, 2009
Macaroni and Cheese
I actually met a man who said he has never had macaroni and cheese because he was afraid it would control him
Basic comfort food
Besides the fact that packaged macaroni and cheese has some ingredients that sound like polymers, you can’t beat the texture, taste and creaminess of the old fashion, homemade version. This isn’t gourmet either. As much as any chef in some hoity-toity restaurant wants you to think it’s gourmet, it isn’t. Everyone has the human right to have great macaroni and cheese. And that guy was right. It will control you.
What you’ll need
| 1 lb | dry | Elbow Macaroni or similar |
| 1 C | grated | Cheddar Cheese |
| 1 C | grated | Jack Cheese or similar |
| 3 T | regular | Butter |
| 1/4 C | regular | Flour |
| 1 C | whole | Milk |
| 1 C | fresh course | Bread Crumbs |
| 8 oz | any | Creamy Cheese (not cream cheese) |
| 1/2 C | finely grated | Parmesan Cheese |
| 1 T | olive | Oil |
| 1/2 tsp | fresh ground | Nutmeg |
| Salt | ||
| fresh ground | Pepper |
How to make it
Boil the macaroni in a large pot. Turn off heat, drain, cover with lid and set aside. Or multi-task while your pasta is cooking.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Lightly oil bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
In a saute pan over medium heat cook 4 strips of sliced bacon until crisp. Place onto paper towel to drain. Leave the bacon fat in the saute pan.
Add butter and let melt then add the flour. Stir until well incorporated into a roux (pronounced: rue). Cook a few more minutes until the roux is golden. Pour in all the milk and immediately stir until a gentle boil develops and the white sauce becomes smooth. This takes only a few minutes so don’t stop stirring. Turn heat to low. Mix in the cheeses 1/2 cup at a time. When all the cheese is incorporated add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Taste and add more salt as needed remembering that you’ll be adding salty bacon to this before baking. Pour sauce into the pot of pasta and mix thoroughly. Pour the mac & cheese evenly into the baking pan. Toss bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and olive oil together then sprinkle evenly over the top. Place dabs of creamy cheese evenly spaced across top and finally, sprinkle crumbled bacon. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until macaroni and cheese is bubbling, the top is golden brown and the sides become crusty. After removing from the oven, let stand for at least 10 minutes. Serve with the quick coleslaw.
Yields 6 servings for dinner or more as a side.
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