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Forget Kraft - THIS one is truly the 'cheesiest.'
Most cheese sauces that you'll find in your typical mac and cheese casserole are bechamel based. Bechamel is a white sauce that is typically created by whisking butter and flour together to create a roux, then whisking in milk. For a cheese sauce, the desired amount of cheese (usually shredded) is added to the bechamel after all the milk is added, and after it thickens up a bit.
The sauce in this recipe does not use a traditional roux or a bechamel sauce, but there is a bit of flour in the sauce to thicken it up. Barilla's corkscrew pasta - cellantani - is my macaroni of choice for the dish, since the cheese sauce sticks very well to this grooved, corkscrew-shaped pasta. This is the ultimate comfort food!
1 pound of corkscrew pasta
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
2-3 tbsp. flour (use 3 tbsp. if a thick sauce is desired)
12 oz of your choice of cheeses, cut into small cubes (I usually use a combination of Monterey Jack and cheddar)
Pinch of curry powder (optiona)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Paprika or seasoning salt to garnish (I like Penzey's Old World Seasoning)
Boil the pasta, and cook according to package directions or desired doneness. Drain, and set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the broth and heavy cream. Whisk in the flour, and continue whisking over the heat, until the mixture thickens. Fold in the cheeses in about 3-4 additions, whisking until the cheese is fully melted with each addition. Check for seasonings; add the salt and pepper to taste, along with the curry powder. Pour sauce over the cooked pasta, and mix together until it is all coated. Serve sprinkled with paprika or seasoning salt, if desired. Yield: 8 servings.
Click on the photo above for a closeup of the EXTREME cheesiness!
Most cheese sauces that you'll find in your typical mac and cheese casserole are bechamel based. Bechamel is a white sauce that is typically created by whisking butter and flour together to create a roux, then whisking in milk. For a cheese sauce, the desired amount of cheese (usually shredded) is added to the bechamel after all the milk is added, and after it thickens up a bit.
The sauce in this recipe does not use a traditional roux or a bechamel sauce, but there is a bit of flour in the sauce to thicken it up. Barilla's corkscrew pasta - cellantani - is my macaroni of choice for the dish, since the cheese sauce sticks very well to this grooved, corkscrew-shaped pasta. This is the ultimate comfort food!
1 pound of corkscrew pasta
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
2-3 tbsp. flour (use 3 tbsp. if a thick sauce is desired)
12 oz of your choice of cheeses, cut into small cubes (I usually use a combination of Monterey Jack and cheddar)
Pinch of curry powder (optiona)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Paprika or seasoning salt to garnish (I like Penzey's Old World Seasoning)
Boil the pasta, and cook according to package directions or desired doneness. Drain, and set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the broth and heavy cream. Whisk in the flour, and continue whisking over the heat, until the mixture thickens. Fold in the cheeses in about 3-4 additions, whisking until the cheese is fully melted with each addition. Check for seasonings; add the salt and pepper to taste, along with the curry powder. Pour sauce over the cooked pasta, and mix together until it is all coated. Serve sprinkled with paprika or seasoning salt, if desired. Yield: 8 servings.
Click on the photo above for a closeup of the EXTREME cheesiness!
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