Macaroni and Cheese!

I said I was going to blog more often...and tell you about the macaroni and cheese that I made last week, didn't? Here it is.

I made the Mac & Cheese for a barbecue that I was attending at my friend's house last Sunday night. Albert gave me a hand with it! Cooking with your man is fun!

The recipe is a mix between Ina Garten's and another one I found on Epicurious.com from Gourmet magazine. Obviously, I can't follow a recipe very well. Never do.


Here was my version:

Kick Ass Mac & Cheese!

Topping:

1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 cups panko coarse Japanese bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Swiss
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 t. truffle salt (or regular salt)

Cheese Sauce:

1 pound elbow macaroni
4 cups
5 T. unsalted butte
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups sharp cheddar (Yay, Tillamook!,) grated (4 cups)
2 cups Gruyere, grated
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t. truffle salt
pinch of cayenne pepper(just a tiny bit!)

1. Boil the noodles for 6-8 minutes until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat the milk in a pan. Don't boil it! In the meantime, in a separate pan, melt the butter.

3. Once the butter has melted, add the flour and stir until blended. Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly.

4. While whisking, add the hot milk. Continue to cook and whisk until the mixture is smoothed and thickened, about 2 minutes.

5. Add the shredded cheeses, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and stir to blend.

6. Pour into a baking dish.

7. Make the topping: Melt the butter and toss with the panko crumbs.

8. Mix in the cheese and salt. Sprinkle on top of macaroni and cheese.

9. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes until nicely browned

Enjoy!