dianarchy.net

macaroni and cheeeeeeeese

My sister emailed this recipe of my mother’s to me, so I’m not sure of the source, besides “my mom.” I’ve made a few changes to it as far as spices and cheese amounts go. This is not the recipe for the lactose intolerant.

Baked Macaroni!

3 c bechamel sauce
1 lb noodles (I usually use big noodles that’ll grip the cheese well. Rotini or big elbows.)
4 oz fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 lb bag of each (shredded): cheddar cheese and monterrey jack
1/2 lb of asiago, shredded
salt and pepper
two small handfuls of breadcrumbs, italian or regular, your choice (I can’t tell the difference, honestly)
1 bag of croutons

Bechamel sauce:
3 T flour
3 T butter
1/2 onion, minced
2 1/2 c hot milk
peppercorns
thyme
bay leaf
salt
grated nutmeg
paprika

In a top of a double boiler, heat the butter till bubbly (I don’t have a double boiler. I use a teflon pan and keep an eye on it). Add the onion and let it cook over very low heat for 3-4 minutes. When I add the onion, I put the milk in the microwave on 50% for 4 minutes, and then it’s ready basically when I am. Stir in the flour and cook for a few minutes more. Make sure the flour is sprinkled and not clumped, or your roux will suck the mostest (this line is a direct quote from my sister, and it’s so very very much “her”, I’m keeping it in). Then add the milk bit by bit and stir with anything but a whisk (the original recipe said to stir with a whisk, but all the onions got stuck on the inside of the whisk and it was a pain in the ass to get it out). The sauce will begin to thicken after a few minutes. add a few peppercorns, some thyme, a bay leaf; sprinkle in some salt, nutmeg and paprika and let it cook slowly for 10-15 minutes, then strain through a sieve. (You know you have enough paprika when the bechemel is pink. Don’t worry, it won’t turn your noodles pink. The rest of the spices are to taste.)

Now, boil the pasta in some salt water till al dente. Butter a 9″ x 13″ pyrex baking dish. As soon as the pasta is ready, drain it and place it in a large mixing bowl. Add the cheeses, bechemel sauce, and bread crumbs. Then pour the gooey mixture into the baking dish. Grate on plenty of black pepper. Sprinkle the croutons all over the top. Put the dish in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.