I have a fairly set schedule every Sunday. I wake up, make my shopping list for the week, and once my boyfriend wakes up, we head to the grocery store. The afternoon is usually wasted by walking around Brooklyn with an iced coffee or lounging around the apartment, so what better time to get a cooking jump start on the week and save some prep time after a workday.
The plan-ahead meal this week was 21st Century Mac & Cheese from The Splendid Table cookbook, How to Eat Supper. It’s a great mix of the comforting favorite from childhood days, while the addition of Gruyere and chopped onion add a new twist. With just 20 minutes of prep time on a lazy afternoon, I was able to come home and throw it in the oven after a very long Monday. Thirty minutes later, a classic is ready to serve.
21st Century Mac & Cheese
Serves 4 and doubles easily.
-1/2 pound (2 cups ) raw penne pasta, cooked and drained
-1 large egg
-1 cup milk
-1 small clove garlic
-3/4 medium onion, coarsely chopped (Mo note: When I make this again, I’m going to cut this down to 1/3 of an onion.)
-1 generous cup (5 ounces) shredded good quality, extra-sharp cheddar cheese
-5 ounces cream cheese, crumbled (Mo note: I’m also going to cut down on the cream cheese as well and add additional cheddar in its place.)
-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
1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter a shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dish, and add cooked macaroni.
2. 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 dish, folding into macaroni. Casserole could be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 24 hours at this point.
3. 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.
You can also find this recipe on The Splendid Table’s website.
Making this on the weekend Mo!
However, can you recommend a substitute for the onion? While I enjoy the taste of Onion, I find that I’m one of those creeps who really hates the texture.
Well, if you do some serious food processing, you may be able to eliminate the actual pieces of onion. However, a shallot may be a good substitute since they tend to get softer faster when cooked, eliminating much of the texture issue. You’d still get some onion flavor without the potential crunch. I haven’t tried it, but it would be worth a shot!
Well said.