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"The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you're hungry again."--George Miller

Drew's Four-Cheese Macaroni & Cheese Recipe

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Category:
Category:

Ingredients:  
Ingredients:  
Nonstick cooking spray
1 16 oz package dried cavatappi or corkscrew-shape pasta
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 c finely chopped onion (1 small) (although he doesn't use nearly this much, if any)
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 c milk
8 oz Gouda cheese, shredded (2 cups)
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
4 oz Swiss cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp unsalted butter
2/3 c panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
Note: buying the cheese in the deli section (the "fancier" cheese) is the way to go. Avoid using pre-shredded cheese for this.

Directions:
Directions:
1. Preheat broiler (I usually wait on this for a while). Coat a 2 1/2 to 3 quart broiler safe au gratin or baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. Bring water to boiling. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and return to the warm pot.
2. Meanwhile, for the white sauce, in a large saucepan melt the 3 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add onion (if using); cook and stir 3 min. Stir in flour, kosher salt, and pepper (he usually uses more pepper than what is called for). Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Cook and whisk for 2 minutes more. Remove from heta.
3. Add Gouda, cheddar, Swiss, and 1/4 c Parmesan cheese, whisking until cheese are melted and sauce is smooth. Add cheese sauce to cooked pasta and stir to coat. (Note: if you like creamier pasta, you can be done here and just eat it!)
4. Transfer mixture to the baking dish. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the 1 Tbsp butter. Stir in panko and the remaining 1/4 c Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle panko mixture over cheesy pasta. Broil 5-6 inches from the heat for 2 min or until the top is browned.

Number Of Servings:
Number Of Servings:
6
Preparation Time:
Preparation Time:
35 min
Personal Notes:
Personal Notes:
You can add butternut squash to this recipe, except preheat oven to 450 degrees and coat a 15x10x1 baking pan with spray. Place 1 1/2 lbs squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes in the prepared pan. Drizzle 2 Tbsp olive oil over the squash pieces; toss to coat. Roast, uncovered, for 25-30 min or until tender (stirring occasionally). Stir cooked squash into pasta with the cheese sauce.
Of course, he has never let me try this in order to protect the integrity of his cheese.
PS: You can also add bacon (3 slices) and blue cheese (1/4 c) to the panko mixture before broiling!

 

 

 

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