Lately, I have been in a bit of a cooking rut. Making the same old recipes that I have made before is easy and fool proof but once and awhile it's fun to try new things and get creative! I recently heard about the Texture app and decided to try it out. Texture is an app for your phone or tablet that puts all of your favorite magazines in one place. If you are a big magazine reader this app is for you! Magazines can get expensive if you have multiple subscriptions, but with Texture you pay a monthly fee of $9.99 and get access to over 200 magazine titles. I decided to mix it up and check out the Food Network magazine for inspiration to get out of my rut! Low and behold, there was a feature on macaroni and cheese. Now I have only had macaroni and cheese out of a box. It was a little intimidating thinking about trying to make it on my own, but I always know Food Network recipes are easy to follow. They had a classic, creamy, crispy, and sliceable choice. After some eenie-meenie-miney-moe we settled on crispy. The class and creamy looked equally as delicious too! I'll have to try those out next 😏 Crispy Macaroni & Cheese 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter Kosher salt 8 ounces of penne pasta 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 cups whole milk 1 bay leaf pinch of cayenne pepper 1 1/2 cups grated monterey jack cheese 1 1/2 cups grated gruyere cheese 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs 2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain. Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Add the bay leaf, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens slightly, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the bay leaf from the sauce and whisk in the monterey jack, gruyere and cheddar one cheese at a time, allowing each cheese to melt before adding more. Add the pasta and stir until coated, adding the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen (the sauce will thicken as it bakes). Do me a favor and don't use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn't melt the same and doesn't taste nearly as good! Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the microwave. Add the panko, parmesan and a pinch of salt; stir to combine. Scatter over the pasta and bake until the crumbs are browned and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. It was a great meal and I would make it again! The cheeses weren't overwhelming and I think this is a good recipe for kids and adults. I can't wait to try out the others!
1 Comment
Dad oh ya I am going to try that one out this week thanks sweetie love you
9/6/2016 09:56:55 am
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HEY IT'S ME TARA!Thanks so much for coming to check my blog out. I am a recent college graduate who is taking a crack at this blogging thing for the first time. I hope to inspire you to live a more connected and peaceful life with my own experiences. Recent Posts
February 2021
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