Buffalo Cauliflower Baked Mac and Cheese
Ingredients :
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
Kosher salt
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 4 cups)
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup hot sauce, plus more for serving, preferably Frank's RedHot
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 pound sharp yellow Cheddar, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup panko
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions :
1- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
2- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. Cook the cauliflower until just tender, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spider to remove the cauliflower and immediately submerge it in the ice water to cool completely, then drain. 3- Bring the salted water back to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.
4- Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the blanched cauliflower and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute more.
5- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and mustard until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, then add the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the Cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.
6- Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish and pour over about half of the cheese sauce. Top with the cauliflower mixture and the remaining macaroni. Pour the remaining cheese sauce evenly on top.
7- Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted, about 30 seconds. Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then serve with additional hot sauce on the side.
Ingredients :
Salt and pepper
One 1-pound box pasta
1/4 cup oil
1 head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic
2 cups water or vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary or thyme) 1/4 cup dairy-free or vegan Parmesan
Directions :
1- Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
2- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook for 3 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
3- Meanwhile, heat a large pan over medium heat and add the oil. When hot, add the cauliflower and onions and saute until starting to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the water or stock, bring to a simmer and simmer until everything is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the nutmeg. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.
4- Toss the pasta with the puree in a medium bowl. Transfer to a baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs, herbs and dairy-free Parmesan. Bake until warmed through and the breadcrumbs are toasted, 3 to 5 minutes.
When blending hot liquid, first let it cool for five minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender, filling only halfway. Put the lid on, leaving one corner open. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth.
Ingredients :
2 shallots, peeled
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 pieces bacon, diced, cooked, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon fat
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound penne pasta, cooked
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions :
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place shallots and garlic in a small aluminum foil pouch and drizzle with olive oil. Roast 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from foil and chop.
In a large saute pan, reheat reserved bacon fat over medium heat. Add roasted shallot and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add flour and stir for 1 minute.
Whisk in heavy cream and thyme. Reduce by a third. Stir in cheeses until melted, creamy and thickened.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and gently stir in pasta.
Place in a 9X13 casserole dish. In a small bowl, mix together diced bacon, bread crumbs, butter and parsley.
Top Mac n Cheese with Panko mixture and bake uncovered at same heat until bubbling and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.
Ingredients :
Kosher salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
4 cups milk
2 or 3 sprigs thyme
4 cloves garlic, smashed and divided
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 1/2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, smashed
Leaves from 1/4 bunch fresh thyme
Directions :
1- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente. Drain.
2- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
3- In a small saucepan heat the milk with the thyme sprigs and 2 garlic cloves. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to keep lumps from forming. Strain the solids out of the milk and whisk it into the butter and flour mixture. Continue to whisk vigorously, and cook until the mixture is nice and smooth. Stir in the 4 cups of the cheese and continue to cook and stir to melt the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked macaroni and the parsley and fold that all in to coat the macaroni with the cheese mixture. Scrape into a 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
4- While that bakes, heat a saute pan. Add the bacon, render the fat and cook until crispy. Add onion, garlic and thyme leaves and cook for about 5 minutes to soften the onion. Season with salt and pepper.
5- To serve, scatter the bacon mixture over the mac and cheese. Use a big spoon to scoop out servings, making sure you get some of the smoking bacon mixture on each spoonful.