After more than two years of Wednesdays unplugged from appointments and spending my day cooking it still hasn't gotten old. Half the fun is searching for new recipes. If any of you have a great recipe for me to try, send it my way!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Life is like a ten-speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use." ~ Charles M. Schultz
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Like most children, our grandsons love macaroni and cheese. I have been trying different recipes for the last two plus years and haven't found one I considered making a second time until this one I tried last week. It's based on the recipe for macaroni and cheese from Morton's Steak House.
BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE
- 16 ounces dried cavatappi or other hollow, ridged pasta
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/3 heaping cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
- 5 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes
- 1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
- 2 1/2 teaspoons chile paste, such as sambal oelek
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup fresh bread crumbs (best made from day-old good quality bread, like peasant bread, with crusts removed)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, saving 2/3 cup pasta water, and cover to keep moist.
While pasta is cooking, melt butter in large pan and cook the onions until tender. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Stir in 2 3/4 cups cheddar, cream cheese, Parmesan and Swiss cheeses and cook, stirring, until the cheeses melt and are fully incorporated into the cream. Let the sauce reach a simmer and stir in the chile paste. Whisk until smooth and add reserved pasta water to thin sauce as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Mix sauce with pasta and transfer to large, flat casserole. Sprinkle 2 1/4 cups cheddar on top, then top with bread crumbs. Bake about 45 minutes, until hot and bubbling.
