Adult Macaroni & Cheese

“He is the cheese to my macaroni”<<<Juno

I have a macaroni and cheese recipe that was passed from my mother to my sister and I that is super fabulous. We’ve both added our own little spin to it, changed it up a little, but for the most part it’s exactly the same as what we grew up with. Well, this isn’t it..
I’ll post it sometime when I actually take the time to measure everything out…right now, I just make it from my brain, nothing’s written down.
But this recipe, I love also. I got it from Morton’s Steakhouse blog, and I’m so freakin’ glad I found it. They’ve recently 86′d it from their menu, but there was such an uproar that they published the recipe…and I’m super glad they did!

Ingredients

12 ounces dried cavatappi or other small, hollow, ridged pasta
1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded (about 1 2/3 cups)
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (about 2/3 cup)
1 ounce Swiss cheese, grated (about 6 tablespoons)
1/2 tablespoon chile paste, such as sambal oelek
Kosher salt
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions
1.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2.Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain but leave a little water on the pasta to keep it moist. Reserve another 1/2 cup of pasta water to thin the sauce. Return the pasta to the cooking pot and cover to keep warm.

3.In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and saute the onion for about 1 minute or until tender. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Stir in the 2 cups of shredded cheddar, the cream cheese, Parmesan, and Swiss cheese and cook, stirring, until the cheeses melt and are fully incorporated into the cream. Let the sauce reach a simmer and stir in the chile paste. You will have 2 1/2 to 3 cups of sauce.

4.Remove from the heat and, using an immersion blender or handheld electric mixer, beat for about 45 seconds until the cheeses and onion are completely blended. The sauce will be thick; thin it with up to 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and mix well. Season to taste with salt.

5.Ladle the sauce over the pasta and mix well with rubber spatula. Transfer to a deep 2-quart baking dish and spread the pasta and cheese evenly. Sprinkle the 1 2/3 cups of coarsely shredded cheddar cheese over the casserole and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until hot and bubbling around the edges. Serve immediately.

Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

“The best sauce is cooked in an old pan” <<<African Proverb

When I worked at a very popular Italian restaurant in Denver, we had this pasta dish that basically consisted of grilled chicken breast, walnuts, grapes, penne pasta…all topped with a gorgonzola cream sauce. I’m commited to try to master this dish, because it was so freakin’ good (it was my favorite). But for right now…I think I’ve got the Gorgonzola Cream Sauce just about right.

I’ve used this over steak, chicken, vegetables, pasta…it’s super versatile.

Ingredients

4 cups heavy cream
1 whole garlic clove, peeled
4 ounces gorgonzola cheese crumbles
4 tbsp parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp white pepper

Directions

In a heavy bottomed pot, bring the cream to a low boil. After about 30 minutes, add the garlic clove, and continue boiling for an additional 20 minutes, reducing the cream by half.

After the cream has reduced, remove and discard the garlic clove and immediately add the cheeses, salt and pepper. Whisk until all the cheese has melted, and serve.

Hot n Bubbly Crab Dip

I loooove Crab!!  Ohhh…and I looove Cheese!!!  So whats better than a ooey, gooey, cheesy, crabby dip with some nice crusty bread. 

This is great for a get together, or just for a family snack on the weekend. 

Think movie night, crab dip, and some nice pita chips.  Or toasted french bread.  

Serves 4

Ingredients

 

1 tbsp butter

4 tsp onions, minced

4 tsp green pepper, minced

2 ounces cream cheese

1 tbsp mayonaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1tbsp butter, softened

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp white pepper

1/8 tsp paprika

1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded

6 oz good quality canned crab meat (I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but there really is good canned crab meat)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees f. 

In a medium saute pan, heat butter until melted and bubbly.  Add the onion and green pepper and cook until softened. 

In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, mayo, sour cream and butter until smooth.  Blend in salt, pepper and paprika.  Stir in the onion, green pepper, cheese and crab meat. 

Put in a oven proof dish and cook in pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until bubbly.

print this recipe here