Erin has an odd streak about her… It drives her to keep perfecting a few select, classic recipes that she loves beyond all others. They include Yorkshire Pudding, Roast Leg of Lamb and Creamy Mac & Cheese. We feature an ‘Erin Update’ on the latter today…
If Mac & Cheese to you means melted Cheese Wiz, overcooked elbow macaroni and a plain breadcrumb topping, you’re missing out!
Sister Erin recently used some of her precious down time over the Holidays to carry out new experiments on the classic casserole front…
Start from the beginning
Erin told me to be prepared to start from the beginning when appraising her latest ‘ultimate’ Mac & Cheese recipe. That’s because it employs upgrades and hacks to ALL the main components of the dish.
But the newstalgic ‘sharp end’ to her new version is where you’ll notice the greatest enhancement.
Where to begin?
Let’s start with the basic Mac & Cheese.
For the sauce…
Make up a large batch (about 4-5 cups) of thinnish Béchamel (White) Sauce. There will be cheese to thicken it up. Use whole milk for richness and to add a little more fat for the flour to meld with. Stir the flour into the cold milk to make a slurry. This will ensure you don’t get lumps in the Sauce. Scoop up a couple of tablespoons of softened butter and stir that in, too. Finally, add the grated Cheddar and Peccarino and stir gently until melted into the main mass.
Erin’s former ‘ultimate’ version included a cheese sauce method using cream cheese, Medium or Sharp (Old) Cheddar cheese and a smaller amount of Italian Grating Cheese. One secret I’ve learned from the folks at my go-to cheese mongers’ is that Peccorino Romano is a great, usually less-costly alternative to Parmesan. At least for cooking with. If anything, it’s a little tangier and earthier.
Erin substitutes the cream cheese in place of Half-And-Half or heavy cream, which is called for in most ‘upgraded’ Mac & Cheese recipes. In her current version, she suggests whipped Cream Cheese to facilitate blending into the sauce.
Erin’s go-to flavourings for the sauce include a good pinch of Dry Mustard, one or two minced or pressed Garlic cloves, and a couple of pinches (1/2 teaspoon?) of Nutmeg. Many recipes I’ve seen call for something spicy. Cayenne Pepper or Sweet Paprika are commonly suggested. But this, by its na-ture, is supposed to be a savoury dish, not a spicy one. And the Dry Mustard will provide more than enough zing to balance out the overall flavour profile.
And be sure to taste for salt before pouring the sauce over the pre-cooked pasta.
For the pasta…
Go ahead and use retro-fave elbows if you want to. But I’ve found that spiral and other textured pastas are much better suited to dishes like this. Rotini, Cavatappi, Penne Rigate, Fusili and even Oricchiette all have their charms. You’ll have to experiment to see which is most acceptable your dining audience.
Cook the pasta in water as directed until just barely al dente. It will continue cooking after it’s added to the casserole, in the oven.
For the additions…
Use the smallest cherry tomatoes you can get and just slice them across the waist. Toss them with a little olive oil then toss or sprinkle with a dusting of ground or finely minced Rosemary and a well-distributed light sprinkle of salt.
On a small sheet pan lined with parchment paper, place the tomato halves cut sides down and roast for about 15 minutes at 400 F. Be sure to pre-heat the oven.
While the tomatoes are baking, caramelize a handful of sweet onion, small-diced. Use Natalie’s Method for best results!
Final assembly
Place the par-cooked pasta in a well-greased casserole dish. The dish should be large enough to allow for a thin (2.5 cm / 2 in.) layer. Dot the tomatoes all over the top of the pasta. You may want to push them down into the pasta with your finger. Then pour on the sauce, using a spatula to spread it evenly over the pasta layer. The sauce will seep down into the pasta during cooking to form classic creamy Mac & Cheese.
Scatter the caramelized onions (if using) evenly across the top of the pasta layer.
Then top with standard buttered bread crumbs. Or try something different to add even more new-stalgic zing! Crushed Corn Flakes have a certain legitimacy, since they’ve been used to top casseroles for a few decades, now. Crumbled leftover turkey stuffing is a real treat, and beautifully complements the Mac & Cheese flavour- and texture-wise. Crushed Ritz or Cheez-It crackers are also natural part-ners for Mac & Cheese based on Cheddar cheese. DON’T use potato chips. They’re too salty and will clash with the more-subtle Cheese sauce.
Whatever you choose for topping, be sure to add the melted butter specified in the standard bread crumb version.
My take
Bake at 375 F until the sauce bubbles and the topping begins to brown.
I love this version of Mac & Cheese. Erin has outdone herself! The key to perfection is to not go over-board with the mustard, garlic, nutmeg or rosemary. Or the caramelized onions. Less is definitely more, here. You may, in fact, choose to leave the onions out altogether. Hint: Erin considers them ‘optional’.
As for topping… We’ve enjoyed Erin’s Amazing Mac & Cheese just by itself, with no topping at all. Yes, topping adds a crunch that’s complementary to the creamy character of the dish. But it’s easy to submerge or muddy its flavour and texture with too much crunch…
~ Maggie J.