I wasn’t raised by granola baking parents. In fact, it was the complete opposite. First, there was my dad, who had a stash of candy bars in his glove box in case of "emergencies" (I always pictured him stranded in a Squamish snow bank with, thank God, a Snickers to keep him alive). My mom would greet us with tea parties after school. When the other kids refused the caffeinated beverage that just meant there was more for me
However, this doesn’t do a lot to explain why we never had junk food in the house. I mean, not a crumb. If there were, it would have been a fight to the death for it, a literal Hunger Games.
I always idealized those homes with candy drawers and pantries bursting with different chip flavours. So, around five years ago, I thought I’d make myself a box of that quick-fix macaroni. You know, the stuff we never had but all the cool kids did. Well, guess who had it now? Me.
After a rigorous 2 minutes of fiddling, it was complete. Finally, I could dig into this amazing …. plastic? ... In a watery, radioactive looking liquid?
Besides the blinding orange colour, the first thing I noticed missing was that velvety creaminess that usually cradles together the elements of this dish. When a good macaroni and cheese hits your tongue, your mouth should feel a variety of textures, flavours and always that silky, smooth sauce.
That lusciousness comes from béchamel: a thick white sauce made from a mixture of flour, butter and milk. This sauce is seen as a blank canvas in cooking and anything can be added to it to create something spectacular. In this case, cheese is added, formally making it a Mornay.
A béchamel is one of the first recipes you learn in cooking school and I have yet to forget it. For this recipe, a few cheeses are used as well as some extra perks to make this dish multi-dimensional and consequently, addictive. Although each cheese is unique, their characteristics also compliment each other and add complexity.
Here is a breakdown of the flavourful ingredients that make this version unique.
Blue cheese: Half a cup is just enough to add depth and saltiness.
Aged cheddar: Sharp and bright, its flavour will prevent this dish from tasting flat.
Gruyere: Creamy and slightly sweet, this cheese is mild with a wonderful, melting quality.
Dijon mustard: Will add a touch of acidity to balance out the creaminess.
Cayenne: A hit of heat awakens the palette and make it more receptive to flavours.
Smoked bacon: A comforting element that blends in seamlessly.
Where was I going with all of this? Oh yes. Sometimes the grass seems greener on the other side, but I’ll take whichever non-radiating shade it comes in.
5-6 cups (672 g) of cheese, grated (a mixture of aged cheddar and gruyere)
1/2 cup (100 g) blue cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (81 g) flour
2 1/2 cups (625 ml) milk
4 tablespoons (60 ml) unsalted butter
4 slices smoked bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon (15 g) Dijon mustard (grainy or smooth)
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) ground cayenne
1 pound small to medium-sized tubular pasta (macaroni, penne, mezzi rigatoni etc.) [500 g]
Preheat oven to 375 F
In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta for two minutes.
Drain into colander, then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
In same pot over medium-high heat, melt butter.
Add bacon and slightly brown before whisking in flour (it should look like a thick paste). Stir in milk, mustard, salt, black pepper and cayenne.
Turn heat to high and whisk until glossy and thick (should only take a minute or two). Remove from heat and stir in cheese, then pasta.
Add to baking dish and top with breadcrumb mixture (recipe below).
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and bubbling around edges.
Serves 6
Breadcrumbs:
1 tablespoon (15 ml) unsalted butter 1/2-cup (125 ml) panko bread crumbs 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh chives, finely chopped
Melt butter in frying pan on medium-high heat. Add panko and cook until breadcrumbs are lightly browned. Add fresh chives and toss to combine. Use to top macaroni.
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