French Inspired Macaroni And Cheese Food

FRENCH-INSPIRED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pipette and cook until tender but not soft (al dente). Drain and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously butter a 2-1/2 to 3-quart baking dish.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 2/3 of the shallot (2 tablespoons) and sauté until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the ham and continue cooking 1 minute. Add the wine and 2 teaspoons of the herbes de Provence and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes longer.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl, set aside and wipe out the pan.
• Heat the milk in the microwave or a separate saucepan until very warm, but not scalded. Set aside.
• Return the saucepan to the stove and melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and blend with a whisk until well combined.
• Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture develops a pale golden color, 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually add the warmed milk, whisking continually until well blended.
• Continue cooking, whisking frequently, until the sauce is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 7 to 8 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the pan with a spatula once or twice during cooking to ensure there are no lumps in your sauce.
• Reduce the heat to low, add the Ossau-Iraty and stir until completely melted. Add the goat cheese, stir until melted, then add the ham mixture and combine well.
• Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in 1 teaspoon of the herbes de Provence. Taste again and adjust the amount of herbes de Provence to your liking (we used an additional teaspoon).
• Add the pasta, combine well and transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
• While the macaroni bakes, heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining shallot and sauté until slightly softened, 1 minute.
• Add the panko crumbs and toss to combine. Continue cooking, stirring often, for about 2 minutes, then remove from the heat, add the remaining Mimolette and combine well.
• Remove the macaroni from the oven, top with the crumb mixture and return to the oven until the topping is crisp and golden, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Allow the macaroni and cheese to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

FRENCH ONION MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (If you're planning to bake the macaroni and cheese in a baking dish instead of a skillet, butter 9-by-13-inch baking dish or other 3-quart casserole.)
• Meanwhile, in a deep, large (12-inch) ovenproof skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, thyme sprigs and bay leaf, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid, baking sheet or foil and cook, stirring once or twice, until the onions are softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Uncover and continue to cook on medium-high, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. If the onions look dry, add a few tablespoons of water at a time to prevent them from burning, scraping up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the skillet. (You will need to do this several times.)
• While the onions are cooking, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until 2 minutes shy of al dente; drain and set aside. Rub one side of each baguette slice with garlic.
• When the onions are a deep golden brown, discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf and deglaze the skillet with the vinegar until evaporated, scraping up browned bits as you go, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. When melted, add the flour and cook, stirring, until the flour begins to stick to the bottom of the pan and has turned a light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking often.
• Reserve 1 cup of the Gruyère. Carefully add the remaining Gruyère and all the Cheddar to the caramelized onion mixture and carefully stir until melted. If your pan is big enough, add the cooked pasta and stir to combine, or combine the sauce and pasta in the prepared dish.
• Spread the pasta mixture in an even layer in the prepared dish, then top with the baguette slices, garlic-side up. Sprinkle the toasts with the reserved 1 cup Gruyère and season with pepper. Place the skillet or dish on a sheet pan and bake until bubbly and brown in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. If you like a crispier top, broil for a few minutes. Let cool slightly, then garnish with fresh thyme leaves.

FRENCH MACARONI AND CHEESE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Prepare the macaroni according to package instructions and drain it.
• While the macaroni is boiling, rub the cut end of the garlic across the entire inner surface of a 3-quart baking dish.
• Brush the same surface with the melted butter.
• Pour the drained macaroni into the prepared baking dish.
• Stir the crème fraiche, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheeses, salt, and pepper into the pasta.
• Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and the remaining Gruyère and Cantal over the surface of the macaroni and cheese.
• Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until it is hot and bubbly throughout and turns light golden brown on top.
• Serve immediately.

FRENCH ONION MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add the onions, half of the thyme leaves, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and caramelized, about 15-20 minutes.
• Stir in the flour until completely combined, then turn the heat up to medium high and deglaze the pan with the sherry. Simmer until the sherry is reduced to about 1/4 cup, 2-3 minutes, then stir in the beef broth. Bring the broth to a simmer, then stir in the elbow macaroni. Cook according to package directions for al dente, about 5-6 minutes.
• When macaroni is cooked, stir in 1 1/2 cups gruyere cheese, 1 cup Colby jack cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Fold the cheeses into the pasta to melt, then add remaining thyme, sage, chopped parsley, salt and pepper.
• Divide the mac and cheese into 6-8 ounce crocks. Top each with 1/4 cup toasted panko and remaining 1 cup gruyere, 1 cup Colby Jack and 1 cup mozzarella.
• Preheat oven to broil. Place the crocks on a baking sheet and brown the Mac and Cheese until the cheese is melted and the browning in spots, about 3-4 minutes.