Macaroni and Cheese: The Classic vs. The Experiment

Macaroni and cheese...a classic comfort version and an "off the wall" experiment...result...great success! We adapted the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for a classic macaroni and cheese and made a bubbly dish with two versions: a classic comfort of gruyere and sharp white cheddar vs. an experiment of feta and homemade basil pesto!

Ingredients:

For the base-sauce of each version you will need:

1 pound Cavatappi pasta (or elbows)

4 cups milk (skim is fine)

7 Tbs. butter

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 Tbs. salt

For the classic gruyere and cheddar (2/3 of the dish) you will need:

3 cups grated gruyere cheese

2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese

1 medium tomato sliced

For the experimental feta and pesto (1/3 of the dish) you well need:

3/4 to 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 Tbs. pesto (recipe to come)

1/2 cup chopped red onion

For the topping you will need:

4 slices of whatever bread or baguette you have around. You want about 2 cups of fresh bread crumbs.

1 Tbs. butter

Directions:

1. Boil a large pot of lightly salted water and cook the pasta according the package directions (6-8 minutes). Drain and set aside. (You can add a splash of oil or cooking spray to prevent sticking).

2. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

3. Heat the milk in a saucepan over low heat.

4. In a separate pan, melt 6 Tbs. of butter and whisk in the flour. Cook for about 2 minutes and then slowly add the milk while continuing to whisk. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce gets thick, whisking every minute or so.

5. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

6. Measure out a little over 1 cup of the milk/flour mixture and set aside.

7. To the remaining sauce, add your gruyere and cheddar and melt off the heat. Add 2/3 off the cooked pasta to this mixture and stir to coat all the noodles. Pour the mixuture into a 13x9 baking dish.

8. With the ~1 cup reserved milk/flour mixture, add the feta cheese, pesto, and red onion and whisk allowing the heat from the sauce to melt the feta slightly. Add the remaining 1/3 of the pasta and stir to combine.

9. Using a piece of doubled-up aluminum foil to separate the two versions, pour the feta/pesto into the last third of the 13X9 pan. See photo if this sounds confusing :)

1o. Spread the sliced tomatoes over the top of the white cheddar and gruyere side.

11. Combine bread crumbs and 1 Tbs. melted butter and scatter over the entire dish.

12. Bake for about 30-40 minutes in a 375 degree oven until the top is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. mmm....

Classic Comfort + "Off the Wall" Experiment = Great Success! :)

Difficulty?

Kelly Kut Rating: Mild bloodshed (3 cuts, mostly from grating cheese). This recipe takes time but is definitely worth the effort!

Taste?

Mmmmm-gasm scale: This delicious cheesy classic was a flavor explosion and party in my mouth. The food orgasms would not stop coming. A solid 9,500, baby.

Looks?

Hotty Hot Hotness: Even the photos of this dish make my mouth drool. I wish there was an endless surprise of this Mac N Cheese in the house for my belly.