For
the first post on this blog I had to think about what to post. Since
the first post sets the stage for the rest of the blog, I wanted to
be careful about what I posted today.
Since
January is here with a new year and I know a lot of you probably made
New Year's resolutions to eat healthier I thought about posting
something really healthy. I have a bunch of those recipes too...
Then
I thought about the weather here in Oregon and how wet and cold it is
at this time of year. I always crave comfort food in this weather. So
I started thinking about my favorite comfort foods. Mac 'n Cheese is
probably my all time favorite comfort food.
This
debate comfort food vs. healthy food went on in my head for what
seemed like forever. In the end comfort won out.
I
have been working on my Mac 'n Cheese for years. It really doesn't
come out the same twice because this is one of my “clean out the
fridge” recipes.
So
if I have bacon I use it, if not no problem. If I have onions they go
in (I almost always have onions) same with garlic.
As
for the cheese I use up what is in the cheese drawer. You know those
little bits of this and that. The last slice of that package of Swiss
that was purchased because someone wanted a ham cheese sandwich. The
last string cheese in the package, the leftover shredded cheese that
was purchased to go on the pizza last week. Take a look in your
fridge, you probably have some cheese left over that should get used
up.
We
always have some shredded cheese in the fridge, most of the time it
is the cheddar/ jack mix that is labeled “Mexican blend” We
prefer it to straight cheddar and it works pretty much anywhere
shredded cheddar is called for. I also always have a block of parm in
the fridge and a can of the pre-grated parm in the cupboard. You
can use up pretty much any cheese from Feta to Bleu to cream cheese,
whatever you like and have in the fridge. Just go light on the
really strong ones.
As
for the pasta in my Mac 'n Cheese I seldom use just one shape. I have
a canister in the cabinet that dump the ends of packages of pasta
into. You know how you buy pasta in the 1 lb. package and then the
recipe calls for half a pound or some odd amount. I have a plastic
container that I dump those odds and ends of pasta into. Then I use
that pasta for soups and casseroles. I have been doing that for so
long that when I do have to use a single shape pasta my kids tell me
it doesn't taste the same. LOL
Most
of the time I add some Tabasco sauce of some kind (yeah, we have all
the flavors in the fridge) or some mustard depending on the cheese I
have on hand at that moment.
So
for this week's Mac 'n Cheese I had mostly Penne pasta in the jar so
that is mostly what you see in the photo. There was a small
smattering of other pasta shapes in there too.
The
first step is to measure out the amount of pasta you need. I use the
casserole dish I am going to bake/serve my Mac 'n Cheese in. Just
fill the casserole dish up about half way, that will give you just
enough cooked pasta to fill the dish.
Now
bring a pan of water to boil and cook the pasta, generally about 9
minutes works well with different kinds in there.
For
cheese this time I had the following: a slice of Swiss, 2 slices of
smoked Gouda, a slice of provolone, about ½ to ¾ cup of Italian
blend shredded cheese, a chunk of Pepper-Jack, a bag of the cheddar
mix (Mexican Blend) some Parmesan (block) and some Parmesan in the
can. Since I had quite a bit of the Pepper-Jack I decided I didn't
need the Tabasco or the mustard.
The
following amounts are what I use for an 8” by 8” Pyrex baking
dish. If you are using a different size casserole you will need to
adjust according.
Joanne's
Mac 'n Cheese
Pasta
(enough to half fill the casserole dish)
2
slices bacon, chopped
-or-
¼
butter or oil
1
onion chopped
2
cloves garlic chopped
Salt
and pepper to taste
¼
flour
2
½ cups milk
Tabasco
sauce (the smoked one is really good in this) or mustard to taste if
desired
3
cups of cheese (shredded and/or chopped)
Dry
bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese to top
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook
the pasta in a large pan of boiling water and drain.
Meanwhile:
In
a mixing bowl (I use one of those 8 cup measuring bowls) cook the
bacon in the microwave on high. Stir after 1 minute and continue to
cook stirring after every minute until the bacon is crispy. It took
about 3 minutes in my microwave.
If
you aren't using bacon melt the butter in the microwave (or heat the
oil) this should take about 30 seconds or so.
Add
the chopped onion to the container cook at high in the microwave for
about 2 minutes. Just until it softens and starts to look
translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute on high.
Now
take a good look at the contents of your bowl. You are going to need
about ¼ of melted fat (or oil) to make a thick cheese sauce. If you
don't have ¼ cup of melted bacon fat in there add a bit of oil or
butter to make enough.
Now
stir in the salt, pepper and flour and cook in the microwave for 30
seconds.
Add
the milk stirring well.
Cook
in the microwave stirring every 2 minutes until the mixture starts to
thicken. It took 4 minutes in my microwave.
Add
the cheese and stir. Return to the microwave for 2 more minutes to
soften and partially melt the cheese. The cheese doesn't have to be
completely melted though.
Add
the cooked pasta and mix well.
Pour
into the casserole dish, sprinkle with some dry bread crumbs and
grated Parmesan cheese. You don't need much just a sprinkle over the
top.
Now
into the oven for 20- 25 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and top
is lightly browned.
