Baked Mac & Cheese

Patty found an excellent “real” Mac N Cheese recipe today that we decided to try out. Recipe came from the 10/17/09 issue of Family Circle. A couple of caveats, first it will mess up the kitchen, second if you’re even thinking about calories forget about it, this is one of those sinful dishes that you have to try but in moderation.

Makes 12 side dish servings

Prep – 10 mins   —-  Cooking time 30 mins

1lb Penne Rigate

3/4lb Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1/2lb Gruyere Cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Shredded Asiago or Parmesan Cheese

3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour

2 Cups Milk

1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/8 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

We made a couple of changes to the recipe, we left out the onion salt and cayenne pepper since we didn’t have them in the cupboard. Try not to sub the Guyere cheese even though it’s very expensive at about $8 for 8oz, it really adds the high end flavor.

Heat Oven to 350deg. Coat a 2-quart broiler safe oval baking dish with non stick cooking spray. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling.

Add penne to boiling water, cook for 6 mins, then drain. In a large bowl toss all 3 cheeses together. (We used a ziplock bag and left air in it to make the mixing easier)

Melt butter in medium size saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and slightly bubbly. In a thin stream, whisk in milk. Stir in onion powder, salt, and cayenne. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in 2-1/2 cups of cheese mixture.

In pasta pot, stir together cooked penne and the cheese sauce. Pour half into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with a generous cup of cheese. Spoon remaining penne into dish and top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350deg for 20 minutes. Increase oven temp to broil and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Cool slightly before serving.

This is the kind of dish that, although takes a bit of effort, could easily become your signature party dish…The one on the table that’s always empty early.