Friday, April 20, 2012

Eric's & Judy's Yummy Mac & Cheese

Yum!
1 1/2 lbs Quality Pasta Penne Rigati works excellent Cheese loves ridges
2 1/2 Milk
1/3 cup Butter
1/3 cup Flour
1 teaspoon each Salt and Pepper

1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 Tablespoon Coleman's Dry Mustard

1 cup shredded Gruyere Cheese
1 cup shredded Manchego Cheese (yeah that's right!)
2 cups shredded Cheddar

1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs, Fresh breadcrumbs are also excellent.

So here we go, never a blue box again, easy! cheesy! easy!.
Boil some well salted water (like the sea). Boil them noodles till just shy of aldente (firm to the bite). Remember you are going to bake them in the oven too. When the noodles are ready and drained put them in a big casserole dish.

In the same pan that you boiled the water, put the butter, flour, salt, and pepper, mustard, and cayenne. Now whisk baby whisk over medium heat to a dirty blonde color, (look you made a roux) add that milk now.  It will look lumpish, whisk baby whisk, it will smooth.(you just made a Bechamel, you are practically a chef) Now start adding the cheese about a cup at a time, again it will look lumpy.... whisk baby whisk... it will smooth. Cheeses will tighten up differently so don't be afraid to add a little more milk. You want the consistency of a thin pancake batter. Now pour that beautiful cheesy goodness over the pasta, fold it all together, sprinkle the panko over the top and pop that bad boy in the oven, at 350 for about 25 minutes or until bubbly and the panko is toasty brown.

Now eat it, and tell me how good it is.