Cav N Cheese (Entry by Lee-Anne)


(This entry was written by Lee-Anne)

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups of pasta ( we used cavatappi) just a bit different than macaroni
  • ⅓ cup of flour
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 4 cups of milk
  • 6 cups of shredded cheese (I split it evenly between mozzarella, cheddar and gouda)

  • Mozzarella to make it nice and gooey

  • Gouda and cheddar for flavour

  • ½ package of cream cheese
  • 1 tbsp of garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp  of mustard powder
  • 1 tbsp of onion flakes
  • ⅔ cup of breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup of parmesan cheese


* Do NOT use pre shredded cheese. It has a fine powder on it to prevent it from sticking in the package. It’s perfectly safe to eat but gets in the way of making everything nice and creamy.


Instructions:


  1. Cook the pasta one minute shy of al dente according to the package instructions. Remove from heat, drain, and place in a large bowl.

  2. Coat pasta in 1 tablespoon of olive oil to prevent sticking

  3. Preheat oven to 350F

  4. In the pot on medium heat, melt ½ cup of butter

  5. Mix in flour stirring constantly for 1 minute until bubbly and golden (use a whisk if required)

  6. Add 1 cup of milk to dissolve the roux, then add in remaining 3 cups mixing until lump free

  7. Mix in seasonings

  8. Cook, stirring regularly for 5 to 8 minutes until sauce has thickened to a creamy consistency

  9. Add cream cheese stirring until melted

  10. Add 2 cups of shredded cheese at a time mixing until combined - don’t worry about the cheese being melted

  11. Stir in the cooked pasta, and make sure it is evenly coated in the sauce

  12. Lightly grease a 9’ by 13’ baking dish and place pasta mixture in

  13. Mix bread crumbs and parmesan and sprinkle over pasta mixture

  14. Place dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes

  15. Enjoy! :)


Yield & Prep Time: 4 servings, 1 hour in total

Description:

Mac and cheese (even if it’s not made with macaroni) is an all time favourite of both of us. When I tried to get the recipe from my mom she wasn’t helpful at all. She does a great job everytime she makes it but she’s like a magician in the kitchen and was telling me to just add “this” and just add “that.” So I took it upon myself to come up with an easy to follow recipe, taking some things my mom suggested and combining a few recipes that I found online. 


This recipe is thickened with a roux, which is just a fancy word for mixing melted butter with flour over heat. You then mix it with your liquid and a few minutes later you get a nice thick and creamy sauce! 


We joked that this is a vegetarian recipe, but it’s far from healthy once you see all the cheese ready to go into the pot! It’s super yummy though. The only thing you need to be mindful of is waiting a few minutes for the mac and cheese to cool down before eating. Otherwise you’re absolutely going to burn your mouth! 

(Gryphon's note: this is the "veggie version". In the picture above, we had diced ham, which you can add if you like)

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