Ina Garten’s Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes
Where has the time gone? Are you kidding me? It’s already time for SRC Reveal Day? Busy, busy, busy at work, being assigned to Bizzy Bakes blog for this month’s Secret Recipe Club made for a much welcomed and easy project. In other words, my kind of food.
You know you’re old when the first colander you ever bought is now considered to be “vintage”.
To say I don’t know much about the author of Bizzy Bakes would be an understatement. Without an “About” section, I really don’t even know the his/her name. But what I do know is that I’ve found a great blog and have bookmarked several recipes from the site that I want to try very soon, Grilled Chicken Cutlets with Sweet Tomato Sauce, Lemon Chicken Pasta, and a vegetable medley Southwestern Saute. See, what did I tell you, my kind of food. Thanks for some great recipes Bizzy.
Making enough for an army, this was baked in my 7 quart. Le Creuset.
Since I’ve been craving macaroni and cheese for about a year now, my selection was easy. Ina Gartin’s recipe for Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes. Bizzy tweaked Ina’s recipe switching Gruyere for Monterey Jack. And plain cheddar for the extra sharp. I used Gruyere and sharp cheddar. With milk/flour/butter that creates the sauce, this is a decadent creamy pasta dish. I love the tart and sweet flavor that the topping of tomatoes bring to the overall flavor…and a crunchy topping of buttered bread crumbs that toast while baking makes this is a keeper. Let’s take a look at what I did:
- Kosher salt
- Vegetable oil
- 1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
- 1 quart milk
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups)
- 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
- 1½ cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don’t boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.
- Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.
- Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/mac-and-cheese-recipe2/index.html?oc=linkback
Ina Garten’s Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes…It’s What’s for Dinners.
To See All The Recipes In The May SRC Click Below
