White Truffle Mac and Cheese

Recipe adapted from:

http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/2012/01/26/white-truffle-macaroni-and-cheese/

Ingredients:

1 cup panko
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3 tablespoons white truffle oil (or to taste)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons flour
4 cups half and half
12 ounces white cheddar cheese, shredded*
10 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded*
Salt and pepper, to taste
16 ounces cavatappi (or your personal favorite type of pasta)

*This is what I used, but use up to 16 oz of each cheese.



1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Generously spray a 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the panko, Parmesan and 1 tablespoon white truffle oil, mixing until combined.

3. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. (If you are short on time, it might be helpful at this point to get your water boiling for the pasta).

4. Add the flour and whisk continuously until the mixture forms a thick paste, about a minute or so.

5. Slowly whisk in the half and half until smooth (some lumps may remain-that’s ok).

6. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.

7. Using a wooden spoon, slowly add the cheeses and stir until completely melted.

8. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp truffle oil and salt and pepper, to taste.

9. Meanwhile, cook the macaroni as directed on the package.  Once cooked, drain the pasta and add it to the cheese sauce.

10.  Evenly distribute the macaroni into the prepared casserole dish and top with the panko mixture.

11. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Uncover, and broil on low until bread crumbs are toasted to your liking. Watch it carefully so that it doesn't burn.

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

adapted from : http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/826008-Butternut-Squash-Mac-Cheese

INGREDIENTS
1 butternut squash (I bought the already peeled and seeded halves at the store)
1 pound elbow macaroni (I used cavatappi)
5 tablespoons butter ( I uses Earth Balance margarine)
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk (I used almond milk)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I used ground nutmeg from a spice jar)
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 pound shredded sharp cheddar (about 4 cups)
1 3/4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup panko bread crumbs (I used Trader Joe's bread crumbs)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Slice squash in half and discard seeds. Place, cut side down, on a baking sheet and roast for 1 hour until very tender. ( I recommend cutting the squash in smaller pieces so it cooks faster. And coat with olive oil and stir occasionally).

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt generously. Boil pasta to al dente - about 6 minutes. Drain pasta and set aside.

When squash has cooled, peel skin off and discard. Puree squash in food processor until it has a smooth consistency. Set aside. (OR instead, see not below).

Melt 4 Tablespoons butter (set aside 1 Tablespoon) and slowly stir in 1/2 c flour to form a paste.

Off heat, slowly whisk in 2 cups of milk. Return to medium low heat until sauce fully blends and thickens.

Add pureed squash to the thickened sauce.

Add mustard, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Stir in 3 cups of cheese (set aside 1 cup for the topping) and 1 3/4 cups of stock, alternating cheese and stock by cupfuls. Taste sauce, adjust seasonings if needed.

Combine pasta, squash and cheese sauce in a large bowl, toss to coat evenly. Transfer mixture to an oven-safe dish (LARGE rectangular dish).

Melt the remaining Tablespoon of butter and blend with remaining cup of cheese and the breadcrumbs to form topping. Sprinkle mixture over the macaroni.

Place macaroni under the broiler until topping is nicely browned - about 2-4 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

*NOTE: Instead of using a food processor, proceed with melting butter and adding flour. After adding milk and it thickens, add the squash (cut in somewhat small pieces), vegetable broth, mustard, salt and cayenne. The use a HAND BLENDER to fully blend the mixture. After it is fully blended, stir in the cheese until it melts.

verdict : AWESOME.