I can't say that I recall my mother ever making mac & cheese from scratch when I was growing up. I don't think it was something that my father would have enjoyed and my mother cooked to please him for the most part. He was the main bread winner for the family and he didn't like anything too much out of the ordinary. In fact for a very long time the only seasonings he wanted my mother to use were salt and black pepper.
Occasionally she would treat us to a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese and we were pretty happy about that. When I was going to University with my first husband Kraft Mac & Cheese got us through a whole year. I remember at the time, you could buy 10 boxes for $1. That's a lot of Mac & Cheese! We didn't mind. We were young, poor, and had other priorities.
A dish such as this Mac & Cheese I am showing you here today would have been a real luxury. (Its still a real luxury!) Both in calories and cheeses . . . and this uses not one but four kinds of delicious cheese!
A nutty Comte, a sharp strong cheddar, some rich tallegio and salty parmesan. This is the Queen of Mac & Cheese dishes! Simple ingredients put together beautifully. This is nothing less than spectacular!
*Gourmet Mac & Cheese*
Serves 4pinch of ground nutmeg
Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions
in lightly salted water. Drain well, rinse in cold water, and drain
again. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in the flour in and allow to cook over low heat for about a minute. Slowly whisk in the warm milk. Cook and wisk until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and thickens. Stir in the cheddar cheese and all but 3 TBS each of the Comte and taleggio cheeses. Whisk and stir until all of the cheeses have melted and the sauce is smooth. Season to taste with salt, pepper and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Remove the pan from the heat and fold in the cooked pasta.
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a shallow 1 litre baking dish. Pour in the pasta and cheese sauce. Mix together the remaining cheeses along with the Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over top Sprinkle the crumbled crackers over top. Bake in the heated oven for 30 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
You really need to do yourself a favourite and try this Mac & Cheese. I would serve this to company! And they would want seconds, so really . . . . I'd have to double the dish I think! If you are looking for something extraordinary to feed the family this weekend, look no further. This is IT!! Bon Appetit!
That looks so good! I could eat that every week if it wasn't for the guilt in doing so. I'm off to the grocery store right now and I bet you can guess what I'll be picking up. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI know Jeannine! IT is calorific, but as a once in a blue moon treat well! ;-) xo
DeleteMy mom did! But there was something tomato in it too..and a ton of Velveeta..I used to love that ..cheese..if in fact it was?:)
ReplyDeleteI don't remember my mom ever making macaroni and cheese. She made plenty of macaroni with hamburger and tomatoes and cheese in it, yes velveeta, but no actual mac & cheese, probably because my dad wanted meat every night! xo
DeletePS - I love velveeta too, which we can't get over here, well unless we buy it from a premium American food supply site at a premium price!
My mom did make her own mac and cheese, which seems odd now because we always had veggies out of a can! I also remember that when my eldest sister got married, they had Kraft Macaroni & Cheese several times a week-I guess it had all of the food groups!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds lovely. I never heard of the last two cheeses, can you suggest an alternative?
Jane x
Our veggies always came from a tin also Jane! I would suggest Gruyere and a brie if you can't get the other cheeses. It is a really lovely mac and cheese! xo
Delete