Mac & Cheese

It's been a while since I made real, home-made macaroni and cheese. My husband always complains that it's too fattening, not healthy; I'd give him more credit for that complaint if he didn't eat ice cream on a daily basis and consume an inordinate amount of cheeseburgers (he skips the fries). The reality is the he wants meat and if I cooked meat, it wouldn't matter how unhealthy or fattening it was, he'd eat it. I rarely cook meat and it's hard to get excited about making something that your spouse only eats a bit of and then turns to canned soup or something regardless of how spectacular it is.

Long story short, I made macaroni and cheese last night and it was fabulous. I found this recipe years ago in a closet store magazine (yea, weird, I know) and I've been making it ever since. Sometimes I think about making a new mac & cheese recipe and someday I probably will but for now, I make it so rarely that by the time I do make m&c, I really want this recipe.

I use Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar, which, IMO, is the best white cheddar out there.

Macaroni & Cheese

Yield: Serves 4.

1/2 lb elbow macaroni (~2 cups)

4 T unsalted butter

3 T all-purpose flour

2 c milk

coarse sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 c grated white cheddar, firmly packed

2 c chopped fresh mushrooms (~12 large)

topping:

1 c grated white cheddar, firmly packed

1 c Panko bread crumbs, or other dry bread crumbs

1/4 tsp sea salt

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

While macaroni is still cooking, melt butter in a large heavy saucepan. Add flour and, whisking constantly, gently cook mixture for a few minutes. Add milk slowly and keep whisking. Bring mixture to a boil, and let simmer until thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and add cheese, giving everything a good stir to ensure cheese is melted and mixed. Add a little milk if the cheese sauce is too thick. Do not let boil.

Add mushrooms and macaroni to the cheese sauce, stir well and pour into a lightly oiled shallow, oven-proof dish.

Move oven racks to bottom of oven. Preheat broiler. Mix together bread crumbs and grated cheese; sprinkle on top of macaroni. Season with 1/4 tsp sea salt. Broil macaroni for 5-10 minutes until topping is golden and crisp.

Hush, California Closets magazine.

Adapted from Francesca Harris, "The Food You Eat"