Saturday, March 21, 2009

Trio Mac & Cheese

I am the ultimate Mac & Cheese lover. I have enjoyed plenty a box of Kraft Dinner (for when I don't feel like cooking but need some comfort food) but nothing beats a homemade creamy Mac & Cheese does it?!

I have done the homemade thing quite a few times, each time trying a different method or recipe, attempting at creating my ultimate macaroni cheese creation to go along with my ultimate love for the dish.
This is not to say the ones I have come up with are not good, they're always cheesy, tasty and oh so comfoting! All I mean is that this is a dish I am determined to perfect and along the way have come up with several different styles (I think I'm more of a perfectionist than usual when it comes to this dish). This is the first one I'm posting. Check out the creaminess!! Oh yeah!

350g elbow macaroni (For fun I used spirali which is similar to elbow macaroni but longer and spiralled, hence 'spirali')
1/4 of a large onion (chopped)
2 1/2 tbsp butter (1 tbsp for topping)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
3 tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups milk
3 tbsp creamy goats cheese
1/2 cup mature cheddar (shredded)
1/2 cup emmental cheese (shredded)
1/2 cup parmesan (shredded - for the topping)
1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs
3 1/2 tbsp fresh chives (half for the topping)

Instructions:
- Cook pasta as per instructions
- In the meantime you will create the cheese sauce:
- melt 1 1/2 tbsp butter with olive oil in a saucepan, add onions to saute. Once onions are soft turn heat right down and add flour. Whisk mixture together. Add milk a little bit at a time, whisking together until smooth with each addition of milk. Continue stirring until sauce has thickened.
- Turn heat up slightly and add cheddar. Once cheddar has melted add the emmental and once emmental has melted add the goats cheese, allow to melt.
- Stir in chili flakes if including. Add salt & pepper and half the chives.
- Allow the sauce to simmer for a couple minutes, but do not allow to bubble
- In a bowl mix together breadcrumbs, parmesan and the remaining chives. Set aside
- Turn oven on to gas mark 6 (400 F)
- In a casserole dish mix pasta with cheese sauce
- Melt the remaining 1 tbsp of butter in the microwave then combine with the breadcrumb mixture. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over top of the pasta. Bake in the oven until top is golden (approx 20min)

Enjoy the comfort!

1 comment:

Monique Napier said...

Going to try this tonight! Bring on the nastolgia!