Baked Macaroni & Smoked Gouda
Source of Recipe
Vegetarian Classics, Jeanne Lemlin
List of Ingredients
- 2 slices bread
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp unbleached flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1/8 tsp dry mustard
- Dash cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup grated smoked Gouda cheese
- 8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
Instructions
- Bring a large quantity of water to boil in a stockpot.
- Tear the bread into pieces and place in a food processor or blender to make bread crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a bowl and drizzle with the oil. Rub the oil into the crumbs with your fingertips to moisten them evenly.
- To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until it blends with the butter. Cook this roux for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, mustard, cayenne, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking continuously. Lower the heat and simmer the sauce about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the Cheddar and smoked cheeses. (The sauce can be made up to 4 hours in advance. Reheat gently until warm before mixing it with the macaroni.)
- Drop the macaroni into the boiling water. Cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Do not overcook it; it will cook more when it is baked. Drain thoroughly in a colander. (Toss with a bit of oil if you aren't going to bake the casserole immediately.)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Spoon the macaroni into a shallow 2- to 2-1/2-quart casserole. Pour on the sauce and toss well. Sprinkle on the bread crumbs.
- Bake 15 minutes, or just until the sauce is sizzling and the crumbs begin to brown.
Serves 4
Final Comments
TIP: The white sauce can boil a few seconds, but once the cheese has been added, the sauce must not boil or else it will curdle. The same situation applies to baking; the casserole should bake only until it is hot and no more.
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