This is another good one for crowds. A big hit at my office potluck.
2 lbs elbow macaroni
1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter, divided 5 & 3 Tbsp
5 Tbsp flour (APF or whole wheat)
2 Tbsp ground mustard
1 Tbsp paprika
4-5 cups milk
1-2 bay leaves
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 lb medium yellow Cheddar cheese, grated
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese or American Neufchatel cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups breadcrumbs (from whole wheat bread, or Panko)
1 Tbsp dried parsley
In very large pot of salted water, boil macaroni according to package directions, until al dente. Drain and rinse with water to stop cooking and prevent sticking.
In large saucepan, melt 5 Tbsp butter. Whisk in flour to make a roux and cook for a few minutes. Add milk and incorporate with whisk - let roux absorb milk a little at a time until all milk is incorporated and you have a thick sauce. Whisk in ground mustard and paprika and add chopped onion and bay leaves. Allow to simmer on very low heat for about 5-10 mins.
Remove bay leaf, then add grated Cheddar cheese, stirring while it melts into the sauce.
Put macaroni into large baking dish (eg. deep glass casserole dish or oven-proof crockpot insert). Pour Cheddar sauce over macaroni, mix through and then stir in cream cheese/Neufchatel in pieces so it's evenly distributed, does not have to be totally mixed in. At this point you can allow to cool, cover and refrigerate until needed or continue on...
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Melt 3 tbsp butter in saute pan and add breadcrumbs. Toss to coat. Mix in Parmesan cheese and parsley then pour over macaroni. Pat down lightly, bake for 30 mins or until topping is slightly browned.
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2 comments:
thanks. so you do use a white sauce in it. but there's no veggies in it at all...
okay, this is how we made it:
to the macaroni we added
- a brunoise (finely cubed, slowly sauteed mix of carrots and leek);
- (small) peas;
- for the roux, you make the butter/flour mix, then you heat the milk separately and add the roux to the milk, not vice versa. this makes it easier to prevent clotting and you can avoid it from getting to thick;
- obviously we don't have those cheeses here so we used german processed cheese, and very finely shredded mozzarella;
- a pinch of nutmeg in the roux
- chapelure and a little grated grana padano on the top;
was very much enjoyed by both big and small eaters!
i also made a simple red sauce (will add recipe later as it's the basic one i use for pizza, lasagna, etc.) but then i forgot to serve it. duh!
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