Macaroni and Cheese

Suddenly the weather has shifted and now we start to think about food that sustains and soothes. What better comfort food is there than warm macaroni and cheese?

A restaurant in Southeast Portland named Noble Rot is famous for their macaroni and cheese. My friend Sunny once lived near there and we would often take a stroll to get Noble Rot’s famous macaroni and cheese. They served it piping hot along with a delightful twist on this classic dish – a sweet condiment made out of apricot jam and butter. The secret to this recipe is to use the best cheese you can get and of course you can’t go wrong with Tillamook’s extra sharp cheddar. I’ve written before about the joys of the “real deal” Parmigiano-Reggiano parmesan cheese made in Parma, Italy; hopefully you can find some.

Noble Rot’s Macaroni and Cheese

8 ounces macaroni

4 cups whole milk

1 bay leaf

3 whole allspice berries

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp coarse salt or ¾ teaspoon table salt

4 tbsp butter

4 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1½ cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated

¼ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for topping

Tabasco sauce to taste

½ cup bread crumbs for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta, drain and return to pan to keep warm but leave enough water to prevent the noodles from drying out.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, bay leaf, allspice, red pepper flakes and salt. Bring milk to a boil; remove from heat and set aside.

In another saucepan, melt the butter over low heat; whisk in the flour and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat. Strain the milk mixture then add 1 cup at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. When all the milk has been added, return to medium-low heat and cook until slightly thickened, whisking frequently and scraping the bottom and sides of the pot so the sauce does not stick. Remove from heat. Stir in the Dijon, Tabasco, cheeses and salt and pepper if needed.

Combine macaroni with the cheese sauce. The macaroni should be soupy because it will absorb a large amount of the sauce. If the macaroni is not soupy, ladle more sauce over the macaroni. Put into a baking dish and top with buttered breadcrumbs. Bake approximately 25 minutes until the top is golden and the cheese bubbles around the sides. Add more parmesan cheese and place the dish under the broiler approximately 3 minutes. You can add some bacon crumbles to kick up the flavor a notch.

There you have it. The best macaroni and cheese comfort food ever!