glam mac and cheese - 2011-10-26 16:20:02
Info :
I stole this idea from Lorraine Pascale so I can't take credit. I can take credit for being too lazy to go to the store and buy the proper ingredients. On that I did a very good job as per usual. However, I used her concept and method so it's pretty close and completely different regular macaroni and cheese. I used all the left over bits of cheese I had around which were camembert, brie, garlic and herb chivre, and parmesan which might sound like a strange combination but trust me on this one.
Just trust me, do as I do, follow my tracks, do a silly walk, and don't ask questions!
about a half box of macaroni (~3 cups cooked)
camembert, brie, chivre, and parmesan (that you yourself have grated)
whole milk
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons butter
nutmeg
mustard powder
fresh thyme
salt and pepper
panko bread crumbs
Cook the pasta and leave it in the strainer. Melt butter in a pan and add the flour stirring it about until it is brown and nutty. Keep stirring and add milk in stages until the sauce thickens and then add some more until it thickens again. keep dong this until you have achieved an acceptably thick white sauce. Add about 1/4 cup of each cheese and stir until it is melted. Add salt and pepper how you like it (but not too much), a few grates of nutmeg, and a sprig worth of fresh thyme.
Take a look and add more milk or cheese to your taste. What you want in the end is to make enough to have the sauce thoroughly cover the macaroni so that when you bake it, it doesn't drink it all up. It should look like more sauce than you think you need. Next time I'll add more than I did this time even. In a baking dish pour the sauce over the macaroni, cover in a layer of panko, grate on a little more parmesan, and bake until golden and bubbly at 350F.
In the end you will have a warm and mild bowl of macaroni with chewy and crunchy bits from the top mixed in. Yum!
