Here's another comfort food recipe brought to you during the Covid time. I am generally a BIG fan of Melissa Clark. Her recipes are creative, tasty, often quite practical, and they work! This mac and cheese recipe is now my go-to recipe. It is SO EASY! You don't need to precook the pasta. And it works. You could jazz it up by adding veggies or bacon or more mustard or spice. As you wish.
Backed Macaroni and Cheese
4 1/2 c milk
8 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp mustard powder or dijon (or more to taste)
black pepper
pinch each cayenne and/or nutmeg
1 lb elbow macaroni
1 lb grated cheese (use up whatever is in the fridge or use all cheddar, whatever works for you)
4 tbsp melted butter
1/2 c grated parmesan
1 1/2 c panko breadcrumbs
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Blend together (in a blender) milk, cream cheese, salt, garlic, mustard, black pepper, and cayenne and/or nutmeg until smooth.
Spray a deep 9-by-13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Spread pasta into the pan and scatter grated cheese on top of the pasta. Pour the milk mixture over the macaroni and cheese in the pan.
To make the bread crumb topping, stir together melted butter, parmesan, and breadcrumbs. Scatter over the top of the macaroni.
Bake for 20 minutes, then increase the heat to 450 degrees and continue to bake until the top is golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes longer. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving; this gives the pasta a chance to absorb all the milk.
* This recipe makes a lot. I freeze the leftover macaroni and cheese in small square or rectangle shaped pieces, to be thawed and warmed as a side dish or for future lunches. Great alongside BBQ sausage and a salad, or packed in the lunch bag with crudités. Ketchup optional.
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