welcome back mac

Well, we're baaaaaaaaaack!

It's crazy how fast it went by, but at the same time, I feel like we left months ago. The trip was a blast (details, suggestions and pictures coming soon)! I could have stayed for at least another month, but I have to admit, I seriously missed cooking. Sounds lame? I actually was surprised at myself how much I just wanted to be in my kitchen with my chef's knife and a basket of fresh produce by the end of the trip. Maybe it was all the great markets here that got me fired up, but either way, I made up for lost time over the weekend.

I cooked nearly all day on Saturday testing some fall soup recipes, and again on Monday. Monday was only half successful. I made a really awful cake that ended up in the trash can after I tasted it. Hate that.

You'd think I'd had my fill of stoves, ovens, pots and dirty dishes, but what I'd really been looking forward to was a good home-cooked dinner with some of my girlfriends! Vino. Homemade mac n' cheese. Fresh Salad. That's my kind of menu! Now, don't get me wrong, I loved spending time with Rob, but I've missed my gal pals and gossiping about girly things just isn't up is alley (thankfully). Plus, he hardly even likes cheese! What a weirdo.

Our dinner was delicious. I mean, how can gooey cheddar, crunchy breadcrumbs and pasta be bad? Yea. It can't ... as long as you don't go the Velveeta route. To top things off, Texas has finally backed off on the heat, which always puts people in a good mood! We had a blast catching up, telling stories and laughing. Gah, love these girls! It's good to be back :)

Mac n' Cheese, serves 8

• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced plus 2 cloves smashed
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 2 1/4 cups whole milk
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 3 cups sharp cheddar, I used a mix of white and orange
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 lbs fusilli pasta, any short curly pasta works
• 5 slices of thick cut Canadian bacon or ham
• S&P
• Pam non-stick spray

Crunchy Topping

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp dried parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large pot, bring water to a boil, season water with salt and cook pasta according to directions. You want your pasta al dente because it cooks more in the oven. In a small saucepan combine milk, 2 smashed garlic cloves and thyme and simmer to infuse flavors, do not boil. Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in a separate large pot. Add shallot and cook for several minutes until tender. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Whisk in flour and cook for a couple of minutes to make a roux. Strain solids out of milk and whisk milk into the roux. Add dry mustard, cayenne and nutmeg. Bring to a slow boil, then lower heat and simmer until sauce coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in cheeses and Canadian bacon. Season with salt and pepper — I always find that it needs more salt than you think. Stir in drained pasta and mix well so that everything is coated. 

Combine all breading ingredients and stir to mix evenly.

Spray Pam in 8 individual ramekins and scoop equal portions of mac in each. Top with a little bit of extra grated cheddar and the Panko topping. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and cook for 25-30 minutes until the tops are lightly browned.