Comfort food at it’s finest. Updated from the old standard by adding red bell pepper for color and flavor and some extra-sharp pinconning for bite. Mmmmmmm!
Serves 4 as an entree, 6 as a side
Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 3/4-1 cup sharp pinconning cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 tablespoons flour (I use Wondra)
- 1 cup half and half cream
- 1 cup water
- 1-2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup panko style breadcrumbs
Directions
- Generously butter a 1 1/2 quart deep casserole dish
- Bring water and salt to a boil; cook macaroni in boiling water for 5 minutes (should be slightly firm)
- While macaroni is cooking, mix grated cheeses together in a bowl and have ready
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; sauté onion and red bell pepper in butter till onion starts to soften (about 6 minutes)
- Sprinkle flour over onion mixture and whisk gently; cook and whisk for 3-4 minutes (flour should start to brown)
- Mix water with half and half and gradually whisk into flour mixture
- Add dry mustard, paprika and salt and pepper to taste (better to go a little saltier); reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring often, for 15 minutes
- Remove from heat and add in 2/3 of the cheese mixture, stirring until melted
- Add macaroni to cheese mixture in pan
- Pour half the macaroni mixture into the prepared casserole; layer with half the remaining cheese mixture, then the remaining macaroni, then the remaining cheese
- Melt remaining butter and stir in panko crumbs until well mixed; sprinkle crumbs evenly over the top of the casserole
- Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until crumbs are browned
- Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving
KT’s Comments:
- Richer and moister than the cast iron skillet version
- Could potentially put in a flatter casserole and use 3/4 cup of crumbs for more crunchy goodness, but you’d have to be careful not to over bake or it will dry out
- Be sure to taste the cheese sauce and make sure there is enough salt and pepper (I don’t usually cook with a lot of salt, but this really needs the right amount of salt to taste good)
- I cooked the macaroni in my largest saucepan and then dumped it into a colander and then used the same pan to make the cheese sauce
- you don’t have to sauté the onion and bell pepper in the butter, you can add it when you add the half and half, but i like it better sautéed
- I got some ham chunks for Dave so he wouldn’t feel deprived; I just sautéed them in butter and let him add them to his portion
Look at all that cheesy goodness!
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