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ingredients
awesome mac n cheese
Well, what can I say about this one. This is good old fashioned mac and cheese, one of North America's great comfort foods. This one is creamy, flavourful and has no relation to the one that comes out of a box. This recipe will get you all warmed up for the cold days we have coming. It can be made ahead of time and thrown in the oven when you are ready for dinner. I made this recipe with broccoli but you could substitute chicken, lobster, shrimp, or any other vegetable you feel like.
1 package dried macaroni 375g
4 Tbsp butter
3.5 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 Tbsp minced onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
3 cups milk
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp Frank's hot sauce or red pepper hot sauce
2 tsp pepper
1 head broccoli cut into florettes (or 2 cups other veg or meat)
2 cups shredded sharp aged white cheddar
for the topping
3 Tbsp butter
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan
4 Tbsp butter
3.5 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 Tbsp minced onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
3 cups milk
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp Frank's hot sauce or red pepper hot sauce
2 tsp pepper
1 head broccoli cut into florettes (or 2 cups other veg or meat)
2 cups shredded sharp aged white cheddar
for the topping
3 Tbsp butter
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1. Start by boiling your pasta, straining it and cooling it down in cool water to get it ready for the rest.
2. Blanch your broccoli florettes in boiling water with 1 tsp salt for 2 minutes or until brilliant green. Remove and submerge in cold water preferably with ice to cool them down and stop the cooking. Strain and reserve.
3. In a saucepan on medium low hear heat up your milk to steaming. This will temper it and get it ready for the sauce.
4. In a large pot on medium heat melt your butter and add your onions and garlic. Sauté for about 2 minutes or until they are translucent and then add the flour. Stir until all the flour is incorporated into the butter. The result is called a roux which will act as the thickener.
5. Using a whisk slowly pour the hot milk into the pot and mix it with the roux. When this is done you should have a nice sauce. Add your bay leaf, hot sauce and black pepper and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes to cook out the flour taste.
6. Turn off the heat and add your cheese. Whisk until the cheese has totally incorporated into the sauce.
7. Remove the bay leaf and toss with the pasta and broccoli.
8. Pour the pasta into a square ceramic baking dish or metal baking tray that has been lightly buttered.
8. Melt three tablespoons of butter in the microwave and toss with the breadcrumbs and parmesan. Sprinkle on the top of the pasta and bake in a 350 degree oven until the sauce is bubbling and the top is nicely browned. This should take about 25 minutes.
Note: You could bake the pasta in individual ceramic dishes if you wanted to make it a little fancier.
2. Blanch your broccoli florettes in boiling water with 1 tsp salt for 2 minutes or until brilliant green. Remove and submerge in cold water preferably with ice to cool them down and stop the cooking. Strain and reserve.
3. In a saucepan on medium low hear heat up your milk to steaming. This will temper it and get it ready for the sauce.
4. In a large pot on medium heat melt your butter and add your onions and garlic. Sauté for about 2 minutes or until they are translucent and then add the flour. Stir until all the flour is incorporated into the butter. The result is called a roux which will act as the thickener.
5. Using a whisk slowly pour the hot milk into the pot and mix it with the roux. When this is done you should have a nice sauce. Add your bay leaf, hot sauce and black pepper and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes to cook out the flour taste.
6. Turn off the heat and add your cheese. Whisk until the cheese has totally incorporated into the sauce.
7. Remove the bay leaf and toss with the pasta and broccoli.
8. Pour the pasta into a square ceramic baking dish or metal baking tray that has been lightly buttered.
8. Melt three tablespoons of butter in the microwave and toss with the breadcrumbs and parmesan. Sprinkle on the top of the pasta and bake in a 350 degree oven until the sauce is bubbling and the top is nicely browned. This should take about 25 minutes.
Note: You could bake the pasta in individual ceramic dishes if you wanted to make it a little fancier.
Just starting to add the milk
Here is the roux in the making. Once the milk is added you will end up with a nice white béchamel sauce. One of the mother sauces in cooking.
It is important to use aged white cheddar here. It costs more but it makes the dish. The flavour is outstanding. Don't use that orange stuff we usually buy. The stuff I used here was aged 4 years and cost about $10
Just before baking
The finished white sauce
Suggested Drink Pairing
dry chardonay
or merlot
or merlot
design
additional photographs