October 14, 2011

Mac and Cheese for the Hubby!

My husband… yes husband!  I can now say that! (I've already messed up on an earlier post with that one)  … ok, back on topic.  My husband does not like mac and cheese.  And this is a problem, because it is one of my favorite foods and has been since I was little.  I keep attempting to change his mind and I think I might have done it!  Instead of making a regular mac and cheese with lots of cheddar, I did a combination of cheddar, asiago, blue cheese, and parmesan.  


Here’s my recipe and feel free to change up the cheeses to whatever you prefer for a completely different taste!

Makes: 4-5 servings
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
  • 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 lb medium pasta shells (whatever style you want!)
  • 1/8 cup plain flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 ½ - 2 cups grated of cheeses of your choice
  • ½ tbsp each Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cups coarse bread crumbs
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta, according to package instructions. Drain once almost cooked and pour into a lightly greased baking dish.
Meanwhile as your pasta is cooking, in a separate saucepan, melt 4 tbsp of the butter until liquid. Add the flour and whisk so it forms a paste, cook for 2-3 minutes but do not brown. Slowly add the milk, adding about 1/2 cup at a time and whisking each time until no lumps can be seen and the sauce thickens. Add a pinch of salt and a few generous grinds of pepper, the Dijon and the Worcestershire, and stir well.
Grate or roughly chop all of the cheese and stir it into the white sauce. Continue stirring the white sauce on medium-low heat until no (or very few) cheese lumps can be seen. Taste and adjust as necessary—add more Dijon or Worcestershire, salt, or pepper. Pour over the mostly cooked pasta in the pan, and stir carefully so that pasta is coated with cheese sauce.
Melt remaining tablespoon of butter and drizzle over the bread crumbs, toss to coat slightly. Sprinkle evenly over the pasta in the dish. Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling.

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