Ingredients

½ lb elbow macaroni

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

1 tsp Turmeric

2 tsp Ground Mustard

½ tsp paprika

½ cup finely diced onion

1 stem rosemary, bruised

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

1 tsp salt, more to taste

Black pepper to taste

1 large egg

6 oz gruyere

6 oz smoked gouda

Topping

1 cup panko bread crumbs

3 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook macaroni until just al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan melt butter and add flour, cook until raw flour taste is gone, about 5 minutes. Make sure there are no lumps, then add turmeric, ground mustard and paprika. Whisk and cook for 1 minute. Add onion and rosemary stem, cook 1-2 minutes. Pour in heavy cream and milk, whisking constantly. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, do not let mixture boil. Temper the egg and add to milk mixture. Add salt and pepper. Slowly add ¾ of the cheese. Fold macaroni and cheese mixture together in a large bowl. Pour into 2 ½ qt casserole dish.

For the topping: melt butter in a sauté pan, mix bread crumbs and stir until just wet. Sprinkle remaining cheese overtop of casserole, top with panko bread crumbs.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

After dinner thoughts:

The middle of July is a strange time to crave mac n cheese. Especially when the day before it was sunny and 94. But after brunch this afternoon the sky was cloudy, rain was falling, and for a brief moment it felt like fall. So, with that in mind I decided to make the most classic of southern comfort foods. Brought to America by Thomas Jefferson mac n cheese has been a staple of the southern diet for about a century.

Of course the traditionalist in me was tempted to go with cheddar and perhaps a bay leaf for that aroma enhancer. Then I remembered my own smoked Gouda mac n cheese that was tasty but lacking in some quality. It was one of those recipes that while enjoyable I just couldn’t imagine going back to. Until a delicious afternoon lunch this past December at Chefs de France in Epcot inspired me. My wife ordered, against my advice, the macaroni and cheese. Here we were at a decent French eatery, me with my braised leg of lamb, and she went the “safe route.” The macaroni and cheese came to the table and the unmistakable aroma of rosemary wafted up. It was simple and intoxicating.

The biggest issue I have cooking with smoked Gouda is the overpowering presence of the smoke flavor. A lot of cooks run into similar situations trying to cook with bacon. This time around I tempered the Gouda by bringing Gruyere to the party. But it’s the rosemary that holds up and elevates this mac n cheese into that “best I’ve ever had” category. Heck, it’s even better than the old mac n cheese recipe from Chat n Chew, a frequent lunch stop, I so loved when working in Union Square.

Final Thoughts:

This is a keeper. Although I’m not convinced the turmeric is necessary. It gives the dish a nice color, but I don’t need to be reminded of curry chicken when eating macaroni and cheese.

RELATED POSTS:
• Dinner Tonight: Arugula, Watercress, And Goat Cheese Chicken Salad
• Dinner Tonight: Pork Chops And Apple Sauce With Roasted Grapes And Twice Baked Potato
• Dinner Tonight: Uh…Breakfast Tonight?
• Food Porn: Arugula, Watercress, And Goat Cheese Chicken Salad
• Dinner Tonight: Soba Noodles In Coconut Curry Broth With Tomato Pasted Chicken