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Last night, I had to feed a craving... a craving for something rich and creamy, warm and comforting. I wanted, no *needed* macaroni and cheese. And no blue box concoction would do. In fact, I took it a few steps beyond your standard from-scratch recipe by using a blend of five cheeses, and topping it with crunchy panko crumbs and fresh herbs. This was most certainly not your momma's macaroni and cheese - it was simply decadent.
Jen's Decadent Mac & Cheese
2 cups medium shell pasta
4 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus 2 tbsp. for topping
2 cups whole milk
about 1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups finely shredded/grated cheese (I used 1.5 cups of Grafton 8 yr. Reserve Cheddar, 1 cup cave-aged Gruyere, 1 cup imported Italian Fontina, and 1/4 cup each aged Asiago and Parmigiano Reggiano)
1/2 cup panko crumbs (a Japanese dry breadcrumb)
1 tbsp. each chopped fresh rosemary and thyme
Cook pasta according to package directions until just under al dente.
Meanwhile, in a wide saucepan, make a bechamel by melting 4 tbsp. butter with 4 tbsp. flour, then whisking in milk until all are smooth and well combined. Once this thickens, add a grating of nutmeg, about 1/8 tsp., and stir. Add cheeses a little at a time, stirring until melted and well combined. Add the cooked and well-drained pasta to the cheese mixture, tossing well.
Pour pasta and cheese mixture into a baking dish. Combine choppped herbs with panko crumbs and spread evenly over the top, coating well. Break up the remaining 2 tbsp. of butter into little bits and scatter over the top. Place in a 350 degree oven, uncovered, until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbling.
Approx. 4 main-course servings, or 6-8 as a side.
Posted by jenblossom on January 31, 2005 | TrackBackMmmmm - sounds so gorgeous...
What did you drink with it?
Well, we had it alongside some simply baked chicken and haricots verts. The original plan was to do the chicken with barbecue sauce, but I am a dingbat and forgot to put the sauce on at the end... but with that in mind, we just got beer (lager) to go along with.
I don't know enough about wine and food pairing yet that I would feel comfortable trying to match something with a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce, as well as the richness of the mac & cheese... but I'll be sure to do some research for next time. What would your recommendation be?
Posted by: jenblossom on January 31, 2005 8:37 AMI really can't begin to describe how good this tasted. In fact, I would eat nothing but oatmeal and salad for five meals running if I could load up on three servings of this during the sixth meal.
Posted by: Dietsch on January 31, 2005 10:00 AM[Checks current New York weather]
Ah yes. *Now* I understand.
Posted by: Stu Nathan on February 1, 2005 5:34 AMPanko! What a GREAT idea. Your recipe sounds amazing and I can't wait to try it. All that's missing is a little bacon...
Posted by: megwoo on February 1, 2005 10:19 AM