Macaroni And Cheese With Wine Food

MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with butter.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the cavatappi and cook until just firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large, wide pot over medium-low heat. Make a roux by sprinkling the flour over the butter and whisking to incorporate. Cook, whisking, until golden, 5 minutes. Whisk the milk into the roux until the mixture is fully combined and smooth. Still whisking, increase the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a low boil, 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 3 minutes.
• Add the mustard powder, salt and white pepper to the sauce and stir to incorporate. Add 8 ounces of the grated Cheddar and all of the Parmesan and ricotta, stirring until melted and fully blended. Remove from the heat.
• Add the drained cavatappi to the cheese sauce and stir well to coat. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and scatter the remaining 2 ounces Cheddar over the top.
• Bake until bubbling and the cheese on top has browned a bit, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH WINE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions, omitting salt.
• Drain and set aside. *NOTE: Do NOT be tempted to skip this step! Trust me, I've done it so I should know!
• Saute onion in butter in a heavy saucepan.
• Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Gradually add milk and wine.
• cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.
• Remove from heat; add salt, pepper, and Cheddar cheese.
• Stir until cheese melts.
• Add macaroni; mix well.
• Pour into a lightly greased 2-quart casserole dish.
• Sprinkle with paprika.
• Bake at 350F for 15 minutes; uncover and continue baking another 15 minutes.

MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Bring 2 gallons of water with 1/4 cup salt to a boil in a large pot. Cook the pasta to al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and cool immediately in the refrigerator or on a flat cold baking sheet.
• Melt 4 ounces of the butter in a separate pot. Whisk in the flour, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes, making sure there are no lumps. Stir in the milk, onions, paprika, mustard and bay leaves and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the cheeses in batches, being careful not to break the sauce. Season with the salt and pepper.
• Fold the macaroni into the hot cheese and pour into a 9-inch cast-iron casserole dish. Top with a big pinch of Cheddar. Melt the remaining butter in a pan and stir in the breadcrumbs, herbs and some salt and pepper. Scatter the topping over the cheesy mac and bake until lightly brown on top, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve.