Best Mac N’ Cheese
Cook a cup of elbow macaroni in boiling salted water with a little oil
added. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, make a béchamel sauce: melt a
tablespoon of butter, whisk in a tablespoon of flour, and cook until
bubbly. Add a cup of cold milk and continue whisking until
thickened. Season with salt, white pepper, a pinch of hot chili powder,
and some chopped fresh thyme or flat leaf parsley (or just a simple
grating of fresh nutmeg). Stir in a cup of grated cheese, such as a
combo of white and yellow Cheddar, or some parmigiano and/or
Emmental—whatever your favorites may be. You have a lot of choices.
Drain the pasta and toss into your béchamel. Spoon into a small
casserole dish, sprinkle with toasted fresh or panko breadcrumbs, place
on baking sheet and stick in 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) oven until golden and bubbly, about fifteen minutes or so.
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label Mac and cheese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mac and cheese. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Dressed-Up Bacon Mac and Cheese
Serves:4 to 6
* Unsalted butter, for greasing
* 8 ounces macaroni
* 2 1/2 cups cold milk
* 4 ounces provolone cheese, coarsely grated
* 4 ounces aged Asiago cheese, coarsely grated
* 2 large eggs
* 2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
* 3 slices white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
* 3 strips bacon
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* Kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart shallow casserole dish. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain; transfer the pasta to the prepared casserole dish along with 1/4 cup of the cold milk. (This will cool the pasta and prevent it from becoming gummy.)
Meanwhile, mix the cheeses together in a small bowl. Beat the eggs with 1/4 cup of the milk in a medium bowl. Add the scallions, bread and half of the cheese to the egg mixture; set aside.
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp; transfer to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings from the pan. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until just brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the flour, cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon salt; cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the remaining 1 3/4 cups milk and 3/4 cup water to the skillet. Bring to a boil, whisking until thick. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk to cool slightly. Whisk in the remaining cheese. Add the sauce to the macaroni; stir to combine.
Crumble up the bacon and add it to the egg/bread mixture. Spread evenly over the pasta. Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven; let sit 5 minutes before serving.
* Unsalted butter, for greasing
* 8 ounces macaroni
* 2 1/2 cups cold milk
* 4 ounces provolone cheese, coarsely grated
* 4 ounces aged Asiago cheese, coarsely grated
* 2 large eggs
* 2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
* 3 slices white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
* 3 strips bacon
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* Kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart shallow casserole dish. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain; transfer the pasta to the prepared casserole dish along with 1/4 cup of the cold milk. (This will cool the pasta and prevent it from becoming gummy.)
Meanwhile, mix the cheeses together in a small bowl. Beat the eggs with 1/4 cup of the milk in a medium bowl. Add the scallions, bread and half of the cheese to the egg mixture; set aside.
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp; transfer to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings from the pan. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until just brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the flour, cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon salt; cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the remaining 1 3/4 cups milk and 3/4 cup water to the skillet. Bring to a boil, whisking until thick. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk to cool slightly. Whisk in the remaining cheese. Add the sauce to the macaroni; stir to combine.
Crumble up the bacon and add it to the egg/bread mixture. Spread evenly over the pasta. Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven; let sit 5 minutes before serving.
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