3 Cheese, Mac & Cheese

I’m still eating Thanksgiving leftovers, well actually just the Mac & Cheese and Apple Pie  (finished that off last night).  Those are the two dishes that I made for more than just two people. I love this mac and cheese,  I’ve been making it every year since I saw it on Diners, Drive In’s, and Dives. It was featured in an episode about comfort food.

The reason that I was drawn to it, was mostly because it was in Diners, Drive In’s, and Dives.  I want to make almost everything that is featured in that show. Funny thing is, that I usually watch that show when I’m hungry.  Sometimes  A lot of times, it’s my nightcap which is dangerous because it makes me want to devour my pantry or get in my car and drive.  I do love that show,  everytime we have a vacation planned or just a trip, I search for the shows site for a list of restaurants.  Also, Man vs. Food, yeah we like food. Another reason why I jumped to making it that first Thanksgiving, was that it the recipe calls for 3 white cheeses.

I had never heard of such a thing.  Mac & Cheese with white cheeses?? Well, that first Thanksgiving was a success and my family always asks for me to make it.  This is my go to Mac & Cheese recipe, I hope to find a cheddar recipe soon.  On a side note, I must apologize for the photos from our Thanksgiving lunch.  You see, the man was hungry, so it was chow time the minute the food was ready.  I was starving as well, so I did not take my plate and style it.  This is the shot of my dish right before I devoured it.

Now, the one change i’ve made to the original recipe was the use of white peppercorns.  I don’t recall exactly why I used white pepper a few years back but it’s the one I’ve kept using.  I try to always find whole peppercorns, and grind them fresh as I season my meals.  The is no preground pepper in my home.  It’s really not that much more costly to get them ground, and it’s so worht the taste.  This year I was extra lucky with my peppercorns, you see I won some on a Twitter chat that is hosted by My Spice Sage. It was my second time at the chat and I love it.

Every first Wednesday of each month, they host a chat about a perticular spice.  My first chat was about vanilla, the second, well you know…about peppercorns. I was so excited to have won and I was thrilled when the package arrived. I LOVE my peppercorns.  I received some I haven’t used before, green & pink peppercorns. YES, PINK & GREEN!

3 White Cheese, Mac & Cheese

•  2 1/2 cups of corkscrew pasta
• 8 oz Heavy Cream- cold
• .32 lb  Asiago Cheese
• .32 lb Romano Cheese
• .32 lb White Cheddar Cheese
• 3 tbs butter
• 3 tbs all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups of milk- cold (I used 2% and it turned out perfect)
• fresh ground white pepper
• sea salt
• panko breadcrumbs (or regular breadcrumbs)
• fresh parsley (rinsed, for garnish)

*This recipe serves about 4, reduced from original recipe*

Preheat oven to 350

Prep: Grate all 3 cheeses, set aside.

Fill a large pot with water, add a dash of sea salt and bring to a boil.  Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until it’s al dente (cooked but firm).  The best way to test is to bite a piece of pasta.  You should be able to chew it but the center should be raw.  Remove from water and set aside.

In another large pot, melt the butter.  Then sprinkle the flour and cook for a few minutes, whisking the flour and butter until a paste forms (roux).

Roux (Paste)

Add the milk and whisk continuously until the paste has dissolved.  Reduce the temperature to medium-low heat, and continue cooking the milk and flour mixture until thick and bubbly (just a few minutes). Now add the heavy cream and 3 cheeses. Stir until the cheeses are melted.  Add a dash of salt & ground white pepper.

Now mix in the cooked pasta.  Mix thoroughly, then add the pasta into a baking dish, top with panko or breadcrumbs.  Place in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden.  When ready to serve add a bit of chopped parsley.

Original Recipe Here

Enjoy

~M