Baked Macaroni & Cheese

It seems like there are 3 camp when it comes to mac & cheese.  Those who just want it out of the box (Kraft Mac & Cheese), those who prefer the ultra-creamy stovetop variety, and those who like the baked kind with extra cheese and/or breadcrumbs sprinkled over the top.  I fall into the third category and this recipe is a good jumping off point for that kind of macaroni and cheese.  I'm still searching for my perfect, ultimate recipe but I think it looks a lot like this, just maybe with different combination of cheeses.  Next time I make it I might replace the gruyere with something else like Monterey Jack or Emmentaler or ... I don't know.  Something.  When it comes to cheese, I have got a lot to learn.  I liked the thyme in the original recipe and kept it here but might omit that next time too and see if my girls like it better - while I loved the flavor it added, I think it made it a little less kid-friendly.

 

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

 

1 lb. macaroni pasta

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

4 cups whole milk

½ cup heavy whipping cream

3oz cream cheese

1 cup grated gruyere cheese

1 cup grated white cheddar

1 cup medium or sharp cheddar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon onion powder

Dash of ground nutmeg

Dash of cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

4-5 pieces of good white bread, slightly stale (I just leave it out on the stovetop for a few hours)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

 

Cook macaroni in salted water till al dente drain and cool. For cheese sauce, melt butter in large sauce pot add flour mix and cook for 3 minutes on low heat to make blonde roux. Slowly add cold half and half whisking in between additions to prevent lumps. Cook sauce for 5 minutes, add heavy cream, cream cheese, smoked cheddar, Dijon mustard, fresh thyme, onion powder, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, season with salt and pepper. Mix gruyere and 1 cup of white cheddar with cold pasta add cheese sauce mix well. In a food processor or blender, pulse bread into crumbs.  Pour butter over bread crumbs while pulsing, just to combine. Pour macaroni and cheese sauce into greased baking dish top with rest of white cheddar and the bread crumb mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes let stand 10 minutes before serving.

 

Adapted from a recipe found on The Vintage Mixer.

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

 

Okay, so I have never been to Chicago and have never truly had Chicago Deep Dish Pizza.  But this recipe is supposedly as close as you can possibly get to the real thing.  It is from the America's Test Kitchen cookbook, which is basically my favorite cookbook ever.  This isn't like any other normal kind of pizza.  The crust has cornmeal and is laminated with butter, and the position of the cheese and sauce are reversed so that the crust doesn't get soggy.  You eat it with a knife and a fork instead of just using your hands.  But it is hands down one of the best things I make.  At least in my opinion.  And while I actually prefer it with just cheese, which makes it a meatless, vegetarian meal, you can add sausage, peppers, carmelized onions - basically any pizza toppings you can think of.

The laminating process is cathartic for me.  You get to roll out dough, spread it with soft butter, then fold it in out itself, let it rose and roll it out again.  It creates wonderful, buttery layers of crust that are totally unlike regular pizza.

And the homemade sauce is unbelievable.  I mean, its basically just tomatoes and fresh basil and garlic, but wow, it is just so, so good.

If you decide to do a sausage pizza, just sprinkle small chunks of sausage over the cheese layer before topping with sauce and baking the pizza.  The sausage will cook through in the time that it takes for the pizza to cook.  Of you can do the cheese layer, a sauce layer, and then put the toppings on top so you can see them.  It really doesn't matter.

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza (makes two 9-inch pizzas, serving 4-6)

Dough

3 1/4 cups (16 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 3/4 ounces) yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/4 cups water (10 ounces), room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted, plus 4 tablespoons, softened
1 teaspoon plus 4 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated onion , from 1 medium onion (note, we left this out)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Table salt
2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (see note)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Ground black pepper

Toppings

1 pound mozzarella cheese , shredded (about 4 cups)
1/2 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage
Pepperoni
Caramelized onions
Yellow, green or red peppers
Spinach
Mushrooms
Olives

FOR THE DOUGH: Mix flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook on low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add water and melted butter and mix on low speed until fully combined, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping sides and bottom of bowl occasionally. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is glossy and smooth and pulls away from sides of bowl, 4 to 5 minutes. (Dough will only pull away from sides while mixer is on. When mixer is off, dough will fall back to sides.)

Using fingers, coat large bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil, rubbing excess oil from fingers onto blade of rubber spatula. Using oiled spatula, transfer dough to bowl, turning once to oil top; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in volume, 45 to 60 minutes.

FOR THE SAUCE: While dough rises, heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add onion, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and sugar, increase heat to high, and bring to simmer. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, 25 to 30 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and oil, then season with salt and pepper.

TO LAMINATE THE DOUGH: Adjust oven rack to lower position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Using rubber spatula, turn dough out onto dry work surface and roll into 15- by 12-inch rec-tangle. Using offset spatula, spread softened butter over surface of dough, leaving 1/2-inch border along edges. Starting at short end, roll dough into tight cylinder. With seam side down, flatten cylinder into 18- by 4-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle in half crosswise. Working with 1 half, fold into thirds like business letter; pinch seams together to form ball. Repeat with remaining half. Return balls to oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in refrigerator until nearly doubled in volume, 40 to 50 minutes.

Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with 2 tablespoons olive oil each. Transfer 1 dough ball to dry work surface and roll out into 13-inch disk about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer dough to pan by rolling dough loosely around rolling pin and unrolling into pan. Lightly press dough into pan, working into corners and 1 inch up sides. If dough resists stretching, let it relax 5 minutes before trying again. Repeat with remaining dough ball.

For each pizza, sprinkle 2 cups mozzarella evenly over surface of dough. Spread 1 1/4 cups tomato sauce over cheese and sprinkle 2 tablespoons Parmesan over sauce. Bake until crust is golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove pizza from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Baked Pinto Bean and Swiss Chard Burritos

I like to try to do meatless meals at least one night a week at our house and these burritos are perfect when it comes to having a vegetarian option that in no way tastes or feels vegetarian.  If you didn't mention to somebody that you were doing a vegetarian dinner, they would have no clue and wouldn't miss the meat at all in these burritos.  One thing I really love about this recipe is the use of swiss chard, which I had never cooked before but had always wanted to try because it is almost always available at the farmer's market and it is so colorful and bright.  The recipe is from a new cookbook I bought called "The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook" by America's Test Kitchen, so I knew going into this recipe that it would probably turn out amazing and I can't wait to try out more meatless meals to add options to our vegetarian nights.
 

Baked Pinto Bean and Swiss Chard Burritos

2¼ cups vegetable broth, divided
¾ cup brown rice, rinsed
6 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 lb. Swiss chard, stemmed and sliced into 1-inch wide strips
1½ cups cooked pinto beans (1 15 oz. can), rinsed, divided
1 tablespoon lime juice
6-7 10-inch flour tortillas
10 oz. Monterey jack cheese, shredded (about 2½ cups), divided

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 1¼ cups of the broth, the rice, half of the garlic, and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the rice is tender and the broth has been absorbed, about 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the cilantro and fluff with a fork to incorporate. Cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, chipotle, cumin, oregano, remaining garlic, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chard and ½ cup of the broth, cover and simmer until the chard is tender, about 15 minutes.

Using a potato masher or a fork, coarsely mash half of the beans with the remaining ½ cup of broth in a bowl, then stir into the pot. Cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is nearly evaporated, about 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lime juice and remaining whole beans. Cover to keep warm.

Adjust an oven rack to 6 inches underneath the broiler element and heat the broiler. Wrap tortillas in a damp dish towel and microwave until warm and pliable, about 1 minute. Lay warm tortillas on a work surface. Mound warm rice, chard-bean mixture and 1½ cups of the cheese in the center of the tortillas, close to the bottom edge. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, fold the sides of the tortilla over the filling, then fold up the bottom of the tortilla, pulling back on it firmly to tightly wrap around the filling and into a burrito.

Place the burritos seam side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top. Broil until the cheese is melted and starting to brown, 3-5 minutes. Serve warm with sour cream and guacamole.