I did not grow up eating any type of pasta as this was considered ‘junk food’ and my mother would not consider the option of any meal that was ‘foreign’. Fast forward to last Friday night, we are in the kitchen and I am teaching my mom on how to make mac and cheese. I like the straight up version of boiling the macaroni then add Parmesan cheese with a little cheddar, milk and unsalted butter (For good measure I put some kales while mom is around). The following recipes add some twists to the easy to make comfort food, or dinner depends on the occasion.
Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese
You’ll Need:
- 1 slice sturdy white bread (about 1 ounce or 28 grams), crusts removed
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 can (15 ounces or 425 grams) pumpkin purée* - 1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth
- 12 ounces (336 grams) dried whole-wheat pasta shells*
- 11/2 tablespoons (22.5 ml) butter
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) minced onion
- 11/2 tablespoons (22.5 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk*
- 2 cups (480 ml) shredded Gouda cheese, divided*
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
- 1/8 teaspoon (.5 ml) ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon (.5 ml) cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Tear the bread into chunks and whirl in a blender until fine crumbs form. Mix with half of the Parmesan cheese and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat stir the pumpkin purée and broth together. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover and keep warm.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well and pour into a 2-quart baking dish.
- Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for another minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and bring the mixture to a simmer; cook, whisking frequently, until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in half of the Gouda, the remaining Parmesan, and the salt, nutmeg, and cayenne, and whisk vigorously until melted and smooth. Slowly pour in the pumpkin mixture, whisking until well blended.
- Pour the pumpkin-cheese sauce over the pasta and stir gently to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining Gouda and then the breadcrumb mixture. Bake until the crumbs are golden, about 20 minutes.
Mac n’ Cheese Cupcakes
Makes about 12 muffins
You’ll Need:
- 1/2 cup (4 oz/125 g) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
- 1/4 cup (11?2 oz/45 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 lb (500 g) elbow macaroni
- 5 cups (40 fl oz/1.25 l) whole milk
- 11/2 lb (750 g) sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly
- ground pepper
For the Topping:
- 4 tbsp (2 oz/60 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (1?2 oz/15 g) panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup (1 oz/30 g) grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan with butter, then dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
- Bring a saucepan three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni, stir once, and return to a boil. Cook until just shy of al dente, 6–7 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) of the cooking water. Set the macaroni and reserved cooking water aside.
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture just starts to darken, about 3 minutes. Whisking constantly, slowly add the milk, raise the heat, and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken, 3–5 minutes longer.
- Add the cheeses, salt, and pepper to the sauce and stir until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Remove from the heat. Add the macaroni and stir to coat thoroughly. Cover to keep warm.
- To make the topping, in a small bowl, stir together the butter, bread crumbs, and Parmesan until well mixed.
- Fill each prepared muffin cup to the rim with the macaroni mixture. Sprinkle the muffins with the topping, dividing it evenly. Bake until the tops are golden brown and the sauce is bubbling, 15–20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in the pan, then refrigerate the muffins, still in the pan, for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours so they will hold their shape.
- Unmold the muffins using a small, sharp knife. Rewarm in a 350°F (180°C) oven for about 5 minutes, and serve.
Southern-Style Macaroni and Cheese
You’ll Need:
- 1 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 8 oz. hollow pasta, preferably elbow macaroni
- Butter, for greasing
- 7 oz. extra-sharp cheddar, cut into 1⁄2" cubes
- (about 1 1⁄2 cups), plus 6 oz. grated (about 2 cups)
- 2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. flour
- 1 1⁄2 tsp. dry mustard
- 1⁄4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1⁄4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 1⁄8 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 2⁄3 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 1⁄2 cups half-and-half
- 1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
- 1⁄3 cup grated onion
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°. Bring a 4-qt. saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until cooked halfway through, about 3 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer to a greased 9" x 13" baking dish. Stir in the cubed cheddar cheese and set aside.
- Combine 1 1⁄2 tsp. salt, flour, mustard, black pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne in a large mixing bowl. Add the sour cream and the eggs and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, heavy cream, onions, and Worcestershire. Pour egg mixture over the reserved pasta mixture and stir to combine. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the surface. Bake until the pasta mixture is set around the edges but still a bit loose in the center, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Artisanal Macaroni and Cheese
You’ll Need:
- Kosher salt, to taste
12 oz. hollow pasta, preferably penne - 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
- ¾ cup dried bread crumbs, preferably panko
- 1 oz. finely grated Parmesan (about 1 cup)
- ¼ cup flour
3½ cups milk - 4 oz. grated Gruyère (about 1½ cups)
- 4 oz. grated Comté or Cantal (about 1½ cups)
- 4 oz. grated fontina (about 1½ cups)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat oven to 350°. Bring a 4-qt. saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until not quite al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain pasta, transfer to a bowl, and set aside.
- Melt 3 tbsp. of the butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over low heat. Add the bread crumbs and Parmesan, toss to combine, and transfer to a small bowl; set aside.
- Wipe out the saucepan and set over medium heat. Melt the remaining butter and whisk in the flour until smooth. Whisk in the milk and cook, continuing to whisk often, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Stir in the Gruyère, 1 cup of the Comté, and 1 cup of the fontina and whisk until the cheese is melted and incorporated.
- Season with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat and stir in the reserved pasta. Pour the mixture into a 2-qt. baking dish and top with the remaining Comté and fontina.
- Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over the top and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Tip: The Swiss Gruyere can be substituted with Gouda but will affect the overall taste.
Four-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese
You’ll Need:
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 8 oz. hollow pasta, preferably elbow macaroni or shells
- 3 slices crustless white bread
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
- ½ tsp. paprika
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup flour
- ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
- 3 cups milk
- 10 oz. grated sharp white cheddar (about 4 cups)
- 10 oz. grated Gruyère (about 4 cups)
- 6 oz. Velveeta, cut into ½" cubes (about 1¼ cups)
- 1 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (about ¼ cup)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat oven to 375°. Bring a 4-qt. saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked halfway through, about 3 minutes for elbow macaroni. Drain pasta; set pasta aside. Tear bread into small pieces and transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely ground; set aside. Return pan to medium heat and melt 3 tbsp. butter. Add breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Transfer bread crumb mixture to a plate and set aside.
- Wipe out pan and set over medium heat. Melt the remaining butter and add the paprika, thyme, shallots, and bay leaf; cook, stirring often, until shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cayenne and stir until mixture thickens, 1 minute. Whisk in milk and cook, continuing to whisk often, until sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Discard thyme and bay leaf and remove pan from heat.
- Stir in cheddar, half the Gruyère, the Velveeta, and the blue cheese; continue stirring until smooth. Stir in pasta and season sauce with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to an 8" x 8" baking dish. Sprinkle remaining Gruyère over top of pasta and then top with breadcrumbs.
- Transfer baking dish to an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and bake until macaroni and cheese is golden brown and bubbly, 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Photos by Martin, Alanagkelly and thepinkpeppercorn (Flickr)
