Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Cheesy Mac Attack

The cheeses

I am obsessed with cheese. It is my favorite food, closely trailing behind chocolate. And I am not talking sliced swiss cheese in the deli section at the supermarket, or pre-shredded parmesan from Private Selection. I am all about the buttery brie, tangy manchego, nutty gruyere, and creamy herbed goat cheese. The list could go on and on. Since Harmony shares a love of cheese with me, we made the cheesiest dish possible for dinner one night, the ultimate macaroni and cheese.


Don't worry, we got our veggies in, too!


The recipe we used uses a cheese base of mascarpone (Italian cream cheese) and parmesan. Then of course there is butter, milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and elbow macaroni. For variations, the recipe recommended adding gorgonzola, fresh mozzarella, or taleggio cheese. I went for aromatic gorgonzola. Or follow in Harmony's wise footsteps and add gruyere. Which ever you choose, I guarantee it will be spectacular.



Before baking

First step is melting the mascarpone, parmesan, and butter, stirring in the milk and seasonings. Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in boiling water until al dente. Combine the two and stir in your additional cheese choice. Pour into a baking dish or individual ramekins. The recipe calls for bread crumbs and cubed butter sprinkled on top, but we thought that was a little overkill. And sprinkling more parmesan and gorgonzola on top wasn't? Of course not! Pop it in the oven, and bake until its golden brown on top.
Out of the oven





This was the best mac and cheese I have ever had. It was rich, creamy, tangy, and salty. Every bite was an explosion of deliciousness in my mouth. It was the kind of dish you cannot stop eating because it was so tasty and comforting. So I didn't stop, until my ramekin was empty. Do not expect to practice self control with such heavenly food. It just is not possible.



Ready to dig in

Here is the exact recipe so you can go whip some up and warm your belly with cheesy delight...

1 pound elbow macaroni
8 ounces mascarpone
1 cup tightly packed grated parmesan cheese, plus 1/2 cup for topping
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
Course salt
Pinch of nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper
(1/2 cup breadcrumbs)
(cubed butter)

For variations add one of the following:
1 cup basic tomato sauce
1 ball fresh mozzarella, cubed
1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup taleggio, broken into small pieces
OR just forget about the measurements and add as much cheese as your heart desires!

Enjoy :)

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