Thursday, January 5, 2012

Day 11: The Best Macaroni and Cheese Ever!

“Life is half magic, and half pasta.” – Federico Fellini
If you have never made mac n’ cheese from scratch, then I challenge you to break away from the typical Kraft or Annie’s boxed crap….and become a true expert in the field of macaroni and cheese. I have been making mac n’ cheese for the last three days straight, reading multiple books specifically written on the subject….and I am apparently addicted now! Once you get the basics….it is a new creation every time. Experiment with different cheese mixtures to create your own signature recipe. So far….I have come up with a good mixture of extra sharp cheddar, pepper jack, gruyere, and parmesan. I also think that a little meat is key to a good mac recipe, particularly pork. Here I am using cubed pancetta, although other options are circulating in my brain. Finally, I like to top the mac with sliced tomato, and a mixture of bread crumbs and crushed ritz crackers. For me, I can tell that this is the start of a long and awesome journey in the world of mac n’ cheese. Start yours now!


Ingredients:
1. 3 tbs. butter
2. 1/4 cup flour
3. 1 cup milk
4. 1 bay leaf
5. 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
6. handful cubed pancetta
7. 1/4 cup bread crumbs
8. 1/4 cup crushed ritz crackers
9. 1 cup small ridged penne
10. tomato
11. 1-1/2 cups of four cheese mix (grated)
- 4 oz. extra sharp cheddar
- 2 oz. pepper jack
- 2 oz. gruyere
- 1 oz. parmesan3




not on the video ---> I added the milk and bay leaf to the roux and whisked until creamy.

1 comment:

  1. Your videos are awesome. I always wanted to know how to make baked mac and cheese thanks so much for telling me.

    ReplyDelete