Yankee Mac & Cheese
Posted
Sat, 09/16/06
My husband Wilbert subscribes to Yankee Magazine. Each issue usually contains several recipes. This month I decided to try the following from their pages:
Macaroni & Cheese
7 TBS salted butter, divided
Preheat oven to 350-segrees F. Melt three tablespoons butter in a large, heavy skillet. Add panko and stir until coated; set aside. Cook pasta according to package, stopping two minutes shy of suggested cooking time. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, melt remaining four tablespoons butter in a large, heavy saucepan over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking continuously, about one minute; don't let mixture brown. Add milk gradually and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until mixture is thickened and bubbly, about five minutes. Remove from heat; add salt, black pepper, red-pepper flakes, mustard and cheeses, whisking until melted. Add pasta; then spoon mixture into a lightly greased two-quart casserole or four lightly greased two-cup baking dishes. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake for twenty to twenty-five minutes, or until bubbly.
I have my own version of Baked Macaroni & Cheese, using real grated cheddar with sliced tomato on top. However, Yankee's recipe called for a breadcrumb topping crust using Panko.
The following is a definition of Panko from Cook's Thesaurus:
Panko = Panko breadcrumbs = Japanese bread crumbs = Japanese breadcrumbs = Japanese style breadcrumbs. Pronunciation: PAN-koh. Notes: Panko breadcrumbs have a coarser texture than ordinary breadcrumbs, and they make for a much lighter and crunchier casserole topping and coating for deep-fried foods. They're especially good for breading seafood. Tan-colored Panko is made from the whole loaf, white Panko from bread with the crusts cut off. Look for both kinds in the Asian foods section of larger supermarkets. Substitutes: breadcrumbs (not as coarse, doesn't stay crisp as long) OR cracker meal OR Melba toast (crushed).
I didn't have any Panko in the pantry so to speak, so I took a half-loaf of two-day-old French bread and pounded it into fine breadcrumbs using a bag and a hammer. I wasn't in the mood to drag out my food processor and tend to the clean-up afterward, so a bag and hammer worked just dandy.
Instead of preparing the dish with regular macaroni pasta, I used a 16-ounce package of Campanelle.
I also added a small amount of minced onion. Before baking the Mac & Cheese, I pushed about a dozen pre-cooked meatballs into the noodles as well. I was aiming for a full-meal deal, so I steamed broccoli flowerets for a side.
The dish could use more seasoning – it was rather bland despite the addition of several spices – but a little portion goes a long way. I had a small bowl and felt chock-full very quickly.
*Related Blog Posts: Mac & Cheese with a Twist (09/03/03, Crispy Macaroni & Cheese) and Friday Night Dinner (02/25/05, Baked Macaroni & Cheese).
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Pasta; Side
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