Scrumptious mac ‘n cheese
Recently I made some classic mac ‘n cheese and posted a pic on Facebook. A discussion ensued that included a dear friend in the UK who apparently was not a fan. What? “You’d love mine!” I assured her. This led to various comments and my ultimately, as I am wont to do, googling mac ‘n cheese, where I discovered it’s regarded as having come from England! Well, this piqued further interest. Like, why the Southern roots in America? Enter Thomas Jefferson!
Having recently read The Hemingses of Monticello, I had learned, among many other fascinating things, that Jefferson was a foodie. When Congress sent Jefferson to Paris in 1784, he took one of his trusted servants and arranged for him to be tutored by a well known and respected chef to ensure he would have French cuisine back in Monticello. Jefferson at some point discovered macaroni and arranged to have a “macaroni machine” shipped to Monticello and later served macaroni to his guests, thus popularizing it in the South. There even survives a recipe for macaroni in Jefferson’s own hand! (Note he referred to all pasta as “maccaroni”.)
Thomas Jefferson’s recipe for macaroni
6 eggs. yolks & whites.
2 wine glasses of milk
2 lb of flour
a little salt
work them together without water, and very well.
roll it then with a roller to a paper thickness
cut it into small peices [sic] which roll again with the hand into long slips, & then cut them to a proper length.
put them into warm water a quarter of an hour.
drain them.
dress them as maccaroni [sic]
but if they are intended for soups they are to be put in the soup & not into warm water
Having learned this story I was inspired to post my recipe for mac ‘n cheese, partially hoping my friend in England, who is a whiz in the kitchen, will give it a try. 😉
This recipe evolved out of a recipe in The Joy of Cooking, which was fine as a starting point, but I found cumbersomely written, as well as not fully in keeping with my own preferences, so it’s tweaked from both those perspectives. I took lots of pictures in case you learn visually as I do.
Basic Mac ‘n Cheese
1. Make 1 1/2 C. bread crumbs.
2. Toss the bread crumbs in butter goodness.
3. Sauté 1/2 large onion, almost to the point of carmelization.
4. Throw the onion into your Cuisinart briefly.
5. Grate a block of sharp cheddar cheese.
6. Prepare 2 C. macaroni. I rarely use actual traditional macaroni. I prefer penne rigate or, even better, torchiette. Add the pasta to boiling water, which has been lightly salted. Do not add oil to the water. Cook al dente. Drain.
7. Simultaneously, melt 3 T. butter in a good sized saucepan, preferably stainless steel. Add 3 T. unbleached white flour. Stir to near browning. Add 2 C. whole milk, a bay leaf and a bit of paprika. Stir constantly over medium heat until it thickens. WATCH this carefully. You do not want this to stick to the bottom! Stir in the onion. Remove from heat.
8. Add 2/3 of the grated cheese to this mixture. Season to taste.
9. Add the pasta to this mixture.
10. Pour one half of the pasta/cheese/sauce mixture into a buttered casserole dish.
11. Sprinkle 1/2 of the remaining grated cheese over this.
12. Add the remaining pasta to the casserole dish.
13. Top with the remaining cheese and then top with the bread crumbs.
14. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for ten minutes before serving so it keeps it’s form.
And that’s how I do it! I know this dish has reached gourmet status in some realms. Please do share what your variations are. I’d love to know what your favorite tricks are! Meanwhile, you have the basics on classic comfort food with a very rich history! Enjoy!
Love and kitchen blessings!
Kathryn xoxo
Book News: Watch for Annie Haven’s book giveaway mid-March, where you can enter to win a copy of Plant Whatever Brings You Joy. You can find her on Facebook at Authentic Haven Brand Natural Brew page on Facebook! Thanks, Annie! 🙂
Posted on January 16th, 2018 by Kathryn
Filed under: People at Life | 10 Comments »
