Friday, October 28, 2011

S+S chow: world's best mac+cheese


Years ago my cousins and I ventured to Seattle and stumbled upon a place called Beecher's. Our flight was leaving soon and we needed to eat. Enter: world's best mac and cheese. Beecher's truly has the best mac and cheese I have ever had in my life. I know it's a bold statement. It's the honest truth. Last month my cousins and I met up for a girls weekend in Tennessee, while brainstorming what to make for dinner Beecher's came to mind. We found the recipe and couldn't wait to try our hand at it, however we ran into a slight problem. We couldn't find Beecher's cheese at any local stores! Alas, we blended a variety of cheeses to create the closest concoction imaginable. This mac and cheese is serious. 
world's best mac+cheese {adapted from Beecher's}
(serves 4 as a side dish)
8 ounces penne pasta (half a box)
2 cups Cheese Sauce (see below)
1 ounce sharp white cheddar, grated
1 ounce colby jack cheese, grated
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil or butter an 8-inch dish. Cook the penne 2 minutes less than the package directions. You want the noodles not quite done because they will finish cooking in the sauce in the oven. Rinse the pasta with cold water and set aside.
Combine cooked pasta and cheese Sauce in a medium bowl and mix carefully but thoroughly. Scrape the pasta into a prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the cheeses, then the chile powder. Bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, until the top has a nice golden crust. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.
If you decide to make this as a main and double the amounts, use a 9×13 inch baking pan and increase the time to 30 to 35 minutes.
Cheese Sauce (makes 2 cups)
1/8 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
5 ounces sharp white cheddar, grated
2 ounces parmesan, grated
2 ounces colby jack cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Continue to whisk and cook for 2 minutes. 
Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. 
Remove from the heat. Add the cheese, salt, chile powder and garlic powder. Stir until the cheese is melted and all the ingredients are incorporated, about 3 minutes. If the cheese isn’t melting completely you can put the pan on low heat.
Use immediately or refrigerate for up to three days.

6 comments:

  1. Ok this is mean mean mean. This early in the morning? Your blog is not good for my waistline. However this time its OK because its actually my son who is the mac and cheese connoisseur and this is possibly his fave..homemade and baked of course!! I do consider my own to be quite good but I am intrigued so have my printer working overtime printing this out....looks and sounds heavenly!

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  2. Wow that mac & cheese looks out of control amazing - thank you for sharing your recipe!

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  3. Ahh! I love their mac and cheese! I'm taking my parents there tomorrow when they come in to town for a visit.

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  4. That looks delish!!!! Ok, I need to make that now :)

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You are the best, the most, the everything.