As I mentioned in the Sept. 20 issue, food is my passion. If I could, I would spend 24 hours a day in the kitchen, creating new dishes. However, there are some days when I am just too tired and want to eat the type of dinner that requires little cleanup and only a few ingredients. On those days, I fall back on comfort foods that are quick and easy, such as one of my all-time favorites: mac and cheese. Because I have never been a big fan of powdered cheese that looks like it may be radioactive, I have developed my own deliciously creamy version of mac and cheese. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do. Guten Appetit!
White Creamy Mac and Cheese Cooking and preparation time: 15 minutes. Serves two.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup milk (Any milk will work. Use whatever you usually drink or eat your cereal with.)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (If you do not like mozzarella, you can substitute it with cheddar cheese.)
- 3 cups shell pasta
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Cooking Steps
1.Start by putting on a pot of water on high heat. For three cups of pasta, use about five cups of water so the pasta has enough room to cook evenly and does not stick together.
2. In a separate pot, melt the butter at medium to medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add flour and combine until it is a thick mixture. Make sure to whisk or stir out all the lumps. This will result in a creamy sauce. Let this cook for another minute to cook away the flour taste. This mixture is called rue and will help make the sauce thick and creamy.
3. After the rue has cooked for about a minute, add the cup of milk and let it warm up. To prevent the milk from burning to the bottom of the pot, occasionally stir the milk gently.
4. By this point, the water will probably be boiling. Add one teaspoon of salt to the pasta and lower the heat to medium-high. Give the pasta a stir when adding it to the hot water so that it doesn't stick together.
5. When the milk is heated through, the edges of the pot start to foam up and the milk will slowly begin to increase in size. Add cheese, one teaspoon of salt and pepper and stir until all the ingredients are combined.
6. When the pasta is fully cooked, which usually takes about 10 to 14 minutes for shell pasta, drain the pasta and add it to the pot of sauce. If the pot is not big enough, transfer the sauce to a bowl and mix the sauce and pasta there.
7. Pour your cheesy pasta in a bowl and enjoy.
