Hearty Mac and Cheese

Dear BM, this one is for you! Bon Apetit!

There is a story behind this dish. Mac and cheese happens to be one of my closest friends, BM's favorite meals. She being vegetarian usually has truncated menu options in most restaurants we go to. But, if there happens to the said dish on the offer, then its a cert. she will order it! :). As for me, I just love cheese and feel that it can only add to any dish.

But, I never really manage to order it even though I get a good visual of all its splemdid qualities whenever I dine with BM. Somehow there is always some other distracting item on the menu. So, for me, this dish has always something to make at home and enjoy. It just evokes a sense of warmth and happiness! I guess it is from all the creamy, cheesy goodness.

We had some left over velveeta cheese slices and chorizo sausage in the fridge. Velveeta is an extra-creamy cheddar cheese form Kraft; it's a bit too creamy, for me, in a cheese sandwich but is Oh!-so-fantastic when melted into a cheese sauce. The creaminess just makes the mac and cheese! Plus, I had just spoken to BM (she moved overseas recently, so sadly, I have not been able to see much of her lately) and the idea of her favorite meal just popped and stuck in my mind. And, that's how the dish came to be made.

Now, the husband has been a bit resistant to the idea of a cheesy dinner claiming that he wanted a 'healthy' meal. So, I promised him a wholesome, hearty meal packed with good stuff nicely rounded off by the cheese! I think that's the best part of a versatile dish like the M and C. You can make it just plain or vegetarian or meaty or add any ingredients you like and change the spice combinations to cater to different tastes.

My M and C was slightly spicy and packed with veggies and herbs. I just used a generic version of the recipe and added all my customized ingredients to it. Traditionally, bacon is added for extra flavor. I substituted it with the chorizo; the spice from the sausage gives a nice kick while the meat makes the dish heartier. You can use a variety of vegetables in it from potatoes to asparagus but stay away from those that become mushy after cooking. I used carrots and cauliflower and for the record, there is simply no better way to eat cauliflower.

There is something in it for everyone and the cheese sauce, as I repeat often, just adds so much flavor to everything. Even the pickiest eater will love this dish!

I am sending this post to the Mac & Cheese event being hosted by 5-Star Foodie. Check out the event details here.

Hearty Mac & Cheese

(Serves 3-4)

1/2 lb chorizo sausage without the casing

2 carrots, grated

1/2 large onion, diced

1 large clove of garlic minced

1/4 head of cauliflower chopped into bite sized flowerlets

1/2 pound of elbow or cavatappi pasta

2-3/4 cups milk

6 oz velveeta cheddar cheese

1/4 cup provolone

5 T butter

4 T all purpose flour

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 paprika

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 T chopped parsley

2 T chopped dill

1 tomato sliced thin

2 T grated parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pan, brown the chorizo. When the chorizo is almost done, add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent. Sprinkle the paprika over and add in the grated carrots. Cook until carrots are done. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season with lot of salt (this is the only chance to season the pasta, so do not miss it!) and cook the pasta till they are just under al dente, about 9 minutes. About half way through cooking the pasta, add the cauliflower in. By the time, the pasta cooks, the cauliflower will be also perfect and well seasoned too.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a pan but do not boil it. In another sauce pan, melt 4 T of butter and whisk in the flour. Cook for 3 minutes on low till the rawness of the flour goes away and the roux turns golden brown. Continue whisking and add in the milk. Cook the mixture till it thickens to a smooth consistency. Add the pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg and cook for a minute more.

Take the sauce pan off the heat and add the cheeses in. The heat of the sauce will melt the cheese. Whisk to combine to a smooth texture. Mix in the carrot, onion and chorizo mixture. Drain the pasta and cauliflower and add to sauce along with the parsley and dill. Combine everything completely.

Pour mixure into a 2 quart casserole. Arrange tomato slices on top and sprinkle parmesan cheese. Distribute the remaining 1 T of butter over the slices. Bake in the oven for 30-35 mins until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbling.

Let cool for a few minute and relish!

Note:

1. If you are making plain mac and cheese, then make the roux with 3T of butter and flour and 2 cups of milk.
2. You can also make the mac and cheese on just the skillet. Just cook the pasta all the way through. Combine the vegetables, herbs and pasta into the sauce and serve.