Happy New Year & some Simple Comfort Food

Happy New Year to all of my awesome readers! Thanks for checking out my blog this year - I hope you've enjoyed the recipes and tips that I've posted for you. I have certainly enjoyed writing them! As I mentioned in my previous post, my goal this year is to blog more frequently and post recipes that my readers want to see! So if you have any suggestions for something you would like to see more of, please post a comment or send me an email. I will do my best to incorporate your suggestions into my writing, cooking and baking!

Now, if you're anything like me you've spent the holiday season eating rich food that you don't normally eat. All that food leaves me craving comfort food. So I thought I would post a simple mac & cheese recipe to satisfy that craving for comfort food. I've tried a lot of mac & cheese recipes and this one is by far the best. Kudos to Chef Michael Smith for the delicious recipe.

Macaroni & Cheese

Recipe from The Best of Chef at Home by Michael Smith

Ingredients:

• 1 one lb box of penne (454g)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• big splash of white wine
• 4 cups of milk
• one 354 ml can of unsweetened evaporated milk
• 1 lb of medium aged cheddar cheese, shredded (454 g)
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp paprika
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• sprinkle or two of sea salt
• 1/2 loaf of italian bread, torn into large pieces
• a generous splash of olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in lots of boiling salted water.
2. To make the sauce, met the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for several minutes until it softens and flavours the butter. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth paste forms. Combining the butter and flour in a roux first helps evenly distribute the flour throughout the sauce and prevents lumps.
3. Continue cooking a few more minutes as the roux toasts and develops a bit of flavour. Slowly stir in the wine and continue stirring until the mixture is smooth again. Add both milks and switch to a whisk, mixing until the sauce is smooth again. Continue whisking until the mixture is very thick, a few minutes longer.
4. Stir in the cheese, dijon mustard, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt. Stir the cooked pasta into the cheese mixture. Pour everything into a 9x13 inch ovenproof casserole or baking dish.
5. Toss the bread with a splash or two of olive oil, then sprinkle it evenly over the top of the cheese mixture. Bake until it is heated through and the bread topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
   

Michael notes that you can substitute other semisoft cheeses such as Swiss, Jack or Emmenthal. He also says you can add any fresh herb you like, some ideas include dill, tarragon or thyme.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as our family did! My hubby loooovvvvveeeesss mac & cheese and tastes every recipe I make and he raved about this one. This recipe will definitely satisfy your comfort food craving and its great to eat on a cold evening because it feels like it warms you all the way through.

Best wishes in 2011 to all of my wonderful readers! Happy Cookingmy Friends!