Home-made Mac n' Cheese

Anyone ever hear the Bare Naked Ladies song "If I Had a Million Dollars?" There is a line in that song that reads "If I had a million dollars we wouldn't have to eat Kraft dinner... but we would." I always loved that line because if I was ever a millionaire I know that I would still have the occasional bowl of cereal or Kraft box mac n' cheese for dinner. I've never tried to make my own mac n' cheese, so when I saw a recipe on the Dishing up Delights food blog I had to give it a go.

Now, this posed a little bit of a problem because when I don't feel like cooking (which is usually about once a week), I tell Jon to throw on some mac n' cheese. So, if I'm planning mac n' cheese for one of my meals, what in the world do we make on the night I don't feel like cooking?

Despite this small dilemma, I still forged ahead. I was not sorry. This was very, very good. It has a bechamel base which gives it a creamy consistency. (I didn't even know what bechamel was or how to pronounce it until 2 days ago). As a first time effort, my bechamel wasn't bad, but it wasn't perfectly smooth and creamy. I know there are some bechamel experts out there, so if you have any insight into perfecting the consistency please put it in the comments section. Even with this small imperfection, the recipe still tasted fabulous.

Home-made Mac n' Cheese
(modified from Dishing up Delights)

6-8 slices canadian bacon (cubed)
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lb elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup Fontina cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups extra-sharp chedder cheese, shredded
Cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper to taste

Get the elbow macaroni started in some salted water. While the macaroni are boiling, saute the cubed canadian bacon in a pan. I didn't use any oil and just cooked the bacon until it started to brown a little. The original recipe used regular bacon, but I wanted something a little lighter to go with the cheesiness of this dish. Once cooked, remove the canadian bacon to a bowl and reserve for later. Add a little oil to the pan and saute the shallot. (Shallots and scallions are my favorite onions. They each have such a unique flavor that really add another level to a dish). After about 3 minutes add the garlic and continue to saute until onions are translucent. Add the canadian bacon back into the pan and mix thoroughly. Turn off the heat and set aside.

By this time your pasta should be cooked. Drain in a colander and set aside. Add the butter to the pot and set on medium-high heat. When half-way melted add the flour and stir until mixed. When the butter has completely melted add the milk. Continue to stir and cook on medium high heat until your "bechamel" has reached it's desired thickness. Add all of the Fontina cheese and about 1/2 cup of the chedder to your bechamel. Stir until completely melted. Add about 1 tsp cayenne and some salt and pepper. The original recipe didn't have amounts for the cheeses or the cayenne, so I did everything to taste. If sauce has no real flavor add some more chedder. If it needs a little kick, add some salt, pepper, or cayenne. I just kept adding chedder until I was satisfied. The fontina is a creamier cheese, but it has a very mild flavor. Add the fontina for texture, but the chedder for taste.

Once your satisfied with the taste, stir in the onion, garlic, and canadian bacon mixture. Once mixed, add the pasta and mix. Voila! It's yummy home-made mac n' cheese. I had leftovers the next day for lunch and it was great. Jon told me how his mom bakes homemade mac n' cheese and I can definitely see how having a crunchy top would be yummy. In fact, baking it in an oven reminds me a lot of my mom's macaroni casserole, which will have to be a post for another day.


What I would change about this recipe:
Nothing. I loved it. I just need to work on the texture of my bechamel sauce, but the flavor was great. I really liked the canadian bacon touch. Homemade mac n'cheese also makes you feel a little healthier than eating the box mac n' cheese, but I'll still always have a couple boxes on hand.

Pumpkin Penne Pasta

This Halloween I have not been feeling the costume vibe. Not sure why, but it's ok because all that creative energy has been driven toward pumpkins...yes, pumpkins. I've never made anything with pumpkin before and I want try a pumpkin recipe before the season ends. Unfortunately, the idea of making pumpkin bread or pumpkin pie seems like too much work to fit into my schedule, so I kept pushing the idea to the back of my mind. And then I came across a recipe that drew a raised eyebrow from Jon, but would definitely satisfy my pumpkin infatuation. Pasta with garlic, basil, and tomatoes is guaranteed to be good, but pasta with pumpkin? This was definitely going to be an adventure.

The recipe is one of Rachel Ray's recipes. I have never been a big fan of Rachel Ray. Her recipes usually don't appeal to me and I don't like her bright orange cookware (ironic since this post is all about pumpkins). But regardless, this recipe intrigued me and I found a rave review about the pasta from someone who feels the same way that I do about Rachel Ray. So, it was worth a shot.

I followed the recipe to a 'T' and was not impressed. I think it has potential, but it was too rich and too thick. I could envision it being so much better if the sauce was thinner and the pumpkin provided more of a subtle flavor instead of being so dominating. So, instead of posting the original recipe as written on Rachel Ray's website, I'm posting my own take on this recipe. I have yet to try these changes, so if you get to it before I do, let me know what other things we can do to make this recipe worth 5-stars.

Pumpkin Penne Pasta

1/2 lb penne pasta
2 Tbs butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup reserved pasta water
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsely
salt and pepper to taste

Boil the penne pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain, but reserve 1 cup of the pasta water for the sauce. Put pot on low-medium heat and add cream, butter, and 1/4 tsp pepper stirring occasionally until butter is melted. Add pumpkin puree and pasta water and thoroughly mix. Increase heat to medium-high and stir until sauce boils. Reduce heat to low and add parmesan. Once mixed in, taste sauce and add salt and pepper as needed. Once satisfied, turn off heat and add pasta to pot. Stir to coat. Add parsley. Stir to coat. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan and parley on top.


Concluding Pumpkin Remarks

So, does this satisfy my pumpkin craving. Not remotely. I still have some pumpkin puree left and I think I'll try something a bit more traditional this weekend. :) ... stay tuned.