Patti Labelle's Mac & Cheese
(recipe modified from the Washington post)
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
• 1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1/2 cup Velveeta, cut into small cubes
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, or more to taste
• a little over 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups Belsoy, cold
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, or more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Step 1
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, toss together the Parmesan, Monterey Jack, cheddar, Gruyere and Velveeta. Reserve about 1/4 cup cheese mixture for the topping.
Step 3
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and the macaroni, and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Drain the pasta, give it a stir and set aside while you make the sauce.
Step 4
In the meantime, over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter until it foams, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and whisk until the flour sizzles and turns blonde without letting it brown, about 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup of the Belsoy. Reduce the heat to medium, switch to a rubber spatula and stir until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining Belsoy and remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper and cayenne.
Step 5
Stir in all but the reserved 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture until completely incorporated. Carefully, stir in the cooked macaroni, breaking up any large pieces that may have stuck together, until just combined. The cheeses will not all be melted, they will finish melting in the oven. Taste and adjust the seasonings, and then pour into the prepared 9-by-13-inch dish. Top it with the reserved 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture.
Step 6
Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until the cheeses on top are melted and the mixture is bubbling and hot.
Variations: when pasta was ready and out of the stove, I added in the left over minced meat from my 3x par jour recipe (pain fouree asiatique) 1 pound meat (porc or beef), 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp ginger, salt and pepper, 1/4 cup hoisin sauce, 1/4 cup soya sauce, and 2-3 tbsp lime juice.
