February came in with a whirl here in Halifax, and Wednesday we got a quintessential Canadian dump: 45 cm of snow in about 12 hours. While absolutely beautiful to watch and to tramp through, it brought the city to a standstill. Bonus: I actually received my first university snow day (took me until degree two, but better late than never!)
Now instead of being a virtuous student and catch up on all my readings, I decided to do the obvious thing: wander around in the gorgeous snow and just have a lovely time. I spent about an hour or so at the student protest against high tuition fees before joining three friends for a Lord of the Rings marathon. And really, who doesn’t love Viggo? My friends, however, were scandalized when they discovered that while I am a big mac and cheese fan, I had never made a mac and cheese bake. Deciding this was unacceptable, they decided to remedy this grievance immediately with the a little help from Joy of Cooking.
I have to admit the mac-and-cheese was delicious. Creamy, steamy, cheesy macaroni with a crisp topping: the perfect comfort food. Worth the extra 25 baking minutes? I definitely think so (although if starving, likely awfully difficult to resist) – after all, who doesn’t love Mac and Cheese?
Crispy Baked Mac-and-Cheese
(6 servings)
Ingredients:
1 onion, finely minced
6 tablespoons + 3 melted tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
3 ¼ cups milk
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 ½ cups sharp cheese, grated(cheddar is always my standby for my non-bake mac and cheese)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups macaroni
1 cup breadcrumps
Salsa, ketchup, hot sauce, thai sauce (optional)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a pot of water to boil, and cook the macaroni to al dente. Drain in a colander.
Meanwhile, sauté the onion in 6 tablespoons butter over medium heat. When translucent, add the flour and the butter browns and a nutty aroma emerges. Whisk in the milk, one cup at a time. Add the bay leaf and the Italian seasoning. Bring the béchamel to a boil stirring constantly, and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes or until nicely thickened. Remove from the heat, remove the bay leaf, and add the cheese. When melted, mix in the cooked macaroni.
Transfer mac and cheese to a casserole dish. Mix the breadcrumbs with the melted butter. Sprinkle the mixture over the pasta. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Broil for 2 or 3 minutes longer or until the bake is bubbly, brown, and crispy on top.
Serve immediately with or without a sauce of your choice!
– Catherine
Made mac & cheese last week in cooking lab but added truffle paste to make it truly decadent!
Oooooh that sounds absolutely delish! I will have to check it out!
Really C! This mac & cheese looks suspiciously like the ones your mother made when you were a child and your Grandma Catharine’s.
It’s close – but missing the key element of baking! Not once in my life did my mother put mac and cheese in the oven (probably since our family devoured it seconds after assembly)
– C
If that’s not a recipe Geoff would love, then I don’t know what is… I think we’ll be trying this one out next time we’re craving comfort food.
By the by, I tried your butternut squash soup from a few posts earlier, Catherine. Yum! Results here: http://llwheeler.livejournal.com/80527.html
Your culinary adventures look delicious Lil – absolutely love the photo with Gus! That does tends to be the problem (and the amazingness of) home-made soups – they smell divine. Good luck with the next one!
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