21's Century Mac 'n' Cheese
Serves 4 and doubles easily.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound (2 cups) raw elbow or penne pasta, cooked and drained
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1 small clove garlic
3/4 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 generous cup (5 ounces) shredded good-quality, extra-sharp cheddar
5 ounces cream cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup (3 ounces) shredded Gruyere cheese
Generous 1/8 teaspoon each hot red pepper flakes, salt and freshly ground black pepper
Generous 1/4 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 saltines, coarsely crumbled
Preheat oven to 350. Butter a shallow 1-1/2-quart baking dish, and add cooked macaroni.
In a blender or food processor, combine egg, milk and garlic, and process 3 seconds. Add onion, cheeses, peppers, salt and paprika, and blend 10 seconds. Turn into baking dish, folding into the macaroni. Casserole could be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 24 hours at this point.
To bake, bring casserole close to room temperature. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Coat crackers with butter and spread over top of casserole.
Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, or until thick yet creamy. If top is not golden, slip under broiler for a minute. Remove from oven, let stand about 5 minutes, and serve.
Variations ...
For nontraditional but very good macaroni and cheese, add any of the following seasonings in combination or alone:
1/3 cup diced red or yellow peppers
1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh chilies
1/3 cup chopped salami
1/3 cup diced ham, or chicken
1/2 cup diced smoked meats or poultry
B-man
