City Hall Macaroni And Cheese Food

CITY HALL MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°; butter a 13x9 inch baking dish.
• Bring 6 quarts of salted water to boiling; add in the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, 9-10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• In a large saucepan, combine the cream, milk, cayenne, and nutmeg over medium-high heat; reduce by half (the author says about 15 minutes but I don't know); once the mixture starts to simmer, stir to break the layer of foam so that it will not boil over.
• Lower heat to medium-low; add in the American and Monterey Jack cheeses; whisk until well blended.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add the penne to the sauce; stir vigorously (taking care not to break the pasta); this will release starch and help thicken the sauce.
• Transfer mixture to the baking dish; combine the panko, parsley, and parmesan; sprinkle over the pasta.
• Bake 15 minutes or until bubbly and golden.

MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook the macaroni until still slightly firm. Drain and set aside.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg. In a large pot, melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook for a couple of minutes, whisking constantly. Don't let it burn. Pour in the milk, add the mustard and whisk until smooth. Cook until very thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.
• Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into the beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the eggs. Whisk together until smooth. Pour the egg into the sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. Add in the cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt and the pepper. Add any additional spices if desired. Taste the sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.
• Pour in the drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately (while it's still very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese and bake until bubbly and golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Fry the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until slightly crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and cut into bite-size pieces.
• In a separate pan, cook the onions in the butter over a low heat until caramelized, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Use a fork to crumble the gorgonzola.
• Put the bacon, caramelized onions and crumbled gorgonzola into separate bowls. Serve as delicious toppings for both sliders and macaroni cheese.

CITY BAKERY MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°; lightly butter a 3 1/2 quart casserole dish or a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
• Sprinkle the crumbs in a single layer on a baking sheet; bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown; set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boiling; cook the macaroni al dente (8-10 minutes); drain macaroni; then place in a large bowl.
• Bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over med-high heat.
• In a medium saucepan over med-low heat, melt the 6 tablespoons butter; add in the flour; mix well using a wooden spoon or spatula.
• Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.
• Whisk in hot milk and continue whisking until smooth.
• Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the spoon.
• Season with salt and pepper; strain through a fine strainer.
• Add the sauce to the macaroni; add in 1 cup each: Gruyere, Cheddar, add Grana Padano; stir to mix well.
• Taste, and season with salt and pepper if needed.
• Pour the macaroni mixture into the casserole dish; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Sprinkle the toasted cornbread crumbs evenly over the casserole.
• Cover with foil; bake on the middle shelf about 20 minutes or until heated through.
• Remove foil and continue baking about 10 minutes or until top is golden brown.
• Let stand 10 minutes before serving.