Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
1lb elbow pasta
Kosher salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 12oz can evaporated whole milk
2 cups whole milk (use 3 cups of whole milk if you’d prefer to eliminate the evaporated milk)
2 lbs cheese (combination of any of the following: sharp white cheddar, gruyere, American, provolone, and fontina), shredded
Try not to use pre-shredded cheese as it has anti-clumping agents like potato starch (aka. Your cheese won’t melt properly)
I’d recommend at least half of your blend be cheddar, with the remaining pound being a blend of whatever you’d like/have available!
½ cup cream cheese
2 tsp whole grain or Dijon mustard
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Fresh cracked black pepper
Steps
Cook the pasta of your choice in a large pot, just until al dente, making sure the water is as salty as the ocean (thank you Samin Nosrat!).
Shred all of your chosen cheese
Make the béchamel
In a small saucepan, melt 4 tbsp of butter for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently, or until it stops spattering (right before browning). Waiting until this moment helps prevent clumping.
Add 4 tbsp of flour and whisk into a thick paste until the raw flour smell is gone.
Slowly, in stages, add the evaporated whole milk and cold regular whole milk. Whisk rigorously, over medium-high heat, until it comes to a small simmer and reaches a thick consistency (a little thicker than heavy cream).
Make the mornay sauce
Turn to the heat to low and fold in the shredded cheese and cream cheese to the bechamel and mix until fully homogeneous.
Optional method – Add the shredded cheese and cream cheese into a heatproof bowl and pour the béchamel through a fine-mesh strainer into the bowl. Then fold in the cheese, cream cheese, and mix until homogeneous
Add mustard, cayenne (optional), and season with salt/pepper.
Add the cooked pasta in with mornay sauce and there you have it – Mac and Cheese!
Fried Mac and Cheese Balls
Ingredients
3 cups homemade macaroni and cheese
Vegetable oil (or any type of high heat frying oil like grapeseed or canola)
3 large eggs, beaten
2 (or more) cups panko breadcrumbs or homemade breadcrumbs (recipe below*)
1 ½ - 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped (optional)
Touch of salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
Parmigiano Reggiano (or Pecorino Romano), grated
Marinara sauce (homemade recipe below**)
Steps
Refrigerate the mac and cheese until firm, 3-4 hours
Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat until it reaches ~350°F (176°C)
To deep fry, add enough oil to fill about half of the dutch oven. Don’t go over that or you could burn your house down :).
To shallow fry, add about half a cup of oil in the dutch oven.
Using your hands or a cookie scooper, roll the mac and cheese into 1 ½ inch balls, making ~12.
Set your station up. Pour the beaten eggs into a shallow bowl. Mix the breadcrumbs, salt, thyme, and fresh black pepper in another shallow bowl.
Dip each ball into the eggs, then panko mixture, making sure to coat the entire ball.
Working in batches, add balls to the Dutch oven or pot until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a wire rack or paper-towel-lined plate for the oil to drip off.
Garnish with the Parmigiano (or Pecorino) and chives and serve immediately with marinara sauce.
*Homemade Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
5-6 slices of stale bread (~2 cups once blended)
Steps
Cut stale bread into cubes
Blend in a food processor until the crumbs are as small as they can be (make sure you have at least 2 cups)
Bake on a baking sheet at 275°F (135°C) for 20 to 30 minutes. Stirring often until completely dried out.
Let cool for 10 minutes and then place back into the food processor until your desired fineness.
**Homemade Marinara
Ingredients
1 28oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes, certified D.O.P. if possible
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 large (or 2 small) spring of basil
1 ½ tsp sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
Steps
Pour tomatoes into a large bowl and crush with your hands. Add a cup of water into the can slosh it around to get the tomato juices. Reserve.
Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot add oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic. Stir for 30 seconds – 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add tomato paste and red pepper flakes, stir until combined.
Add crushed tomatoes, reserved tomato water, basil, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine.
Simmer sauce over low heat for at least 1 hour.
Remove basil and add butter. Stir to melt and combine.
Season to taste for salt/pepper.
Let cool, then blend to your desired consistency. (Optional, but recommended)
