Mac and cheese for everyone!
So in response to this post last night and this request from one of my favorite ladies
I have decided to share this recipe with you guys, because really, what kind of selfish person keeps deliciousness like this to herself?*
So here it is, the recipe for, as I like to call it:
Crackeroni and Cheese:
Ingredients:
1lb Mezze Penne (or any short cut pasta you prefer)
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk (I don’t often use the whole 2 cups, start with 1 1/2 and add more if the sauce isn’t creamy enough)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard (I never measure this, just squeeze until it looks good to you, more or less depending on your tastes)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (ditto for this)
1/2 teaspoon paprika (and for this)
12 ounces of sharp cheddar, shredded (shred it yourself, it’s WAY better. And use extra sharp cheddar, like Black Diamond Triple Extra Sharp if you can find it. TRUST ME! Last night I also added a handful of Fontina that I had on hand—it was amazing!)
Salt and pepper to taste
Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (for topping)
Cooking Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook pasta in heavily salted, boiling water until al dente (be careful about over-cooking b/c the pasta will cook a bit more in the oven). When done, drain (don’t rinse), transfer into your baking dish with a tiny bit of butter so the pasta doesn’t stick together.
Melt 3 tbs. butter over medium-low heat in a saucepan. Add flour (a bit at a time) and whisk into the butter. Cook for a few minutes over medium-low heat to cook the floury taste out.
Increase heat to medium and slowly add milk a little at a time, whisking to incorporate. Go slowly (really slowly!!), adding 1/4 cup at a time at first, whisking continuously so that the flour has a chance to absorb the liquid and your sauce will be smooth. (It will look like paste and get really glumpy and you will freak out. MOVE THROUGH THAT! It will pass and the sauce will smooth out, I promise!).
Add paprika, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Slowly fold in cheeses, stirring in a figure 8 to avoid the cheese sticking together. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Add sauce to the pasta and stir to combine.
Spread breadcrumbs evenly over the top.
Cook in the oven for approximately 25 minutes or until it’s browned on top and bubbling. (Or until you just can’t wait to start eating it. Most nights we don’t make it past 23 minutes before we need to just dive in).
That’s it! It’s easy, I swear! And it will be the most delicious mac and cheese you’ve ever had. Ever.
Now, go forth and carbo-load!
*If you ask my husband, he would say I’m exactly the kind of selfish person to keep that deliciousness to herself but it’s only because I’m usually home during the days and someone has to eat the leftovers before they go bad. I’m doing him a service, really. I would be a pretty bad wife if I a) wasted food and b) let the mac and cheese go bad** and then let him eat it anyway.
**As though any mac and cheese stays in this house long enough to go bad. Don’t be silly.
