Butternut Squash and Bacon Mac n' Cheese

By Paul Briand

Let me say at the outset that his recipe is awesome.

I found it, as I usually do, just trolling around various food and recipe sites, finding it at BrownEyedBaker.com.

I love mac ‘n cheese. I love bacon. Throw in the squash as a reasonably healthy addition? Sold.

The squash really adds an element of flavor and texture that makes this dish worth the work (and the many pots and pans) that go into it.

Some notes: I tried to reduce the sodium content by using low-sodium bacon (yes, there is such a thing, though bacon lovers might ask, “Why bother?”). I used a whole onion. And I used orecchiette as my pasta, which I’ve used before in other mac ‘n cheese recipes.

Ingredients
12 slices thick-cut peppered bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
½ butternut squash, finely diced
½ yellow onion, finely diced
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
8 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
16 ounces cavatappi pasta (or shaped pasta of your choice)
1 cup plain breadcrumbs

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Heat a large pot of water over high heat for the pasta and cover;
2. In a 12-inch cast iron skillet (or other heavy, stainless skillet), fry the bacon until crisp;
3. Remove the bacon to a towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease;
4.  Adjust heat to medium-low and add the butternut squash and onion to the bacon grease. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash and onion are browned and cooked through. Once cooked, use the back of a wooden spoon to mash up the mixture (it doesn't have to be completely smooth - leave some chunks in for texture);
5. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook the pasta according to the box directions for al dente pasta then drain;
5. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. In a large saucepan;
6. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, until the flour starts to brown;
7. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the milk. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer;
8. Stir in 6 ounces each of the Gruyere and cheddar cheeses, adding a handful at a time and stirring with a wooden spoon until completely melted before adding the next handful. Season with salt and pepper and turn off the heat;
9. Add the cooked, drained pasta, bacon and butternut squash mixture to the sauce. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is completely combined and evenly distributed;
10. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish;
11. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with the breadcrumbs;
12. Sprinkle the macaroni and cheese with the remaining shredded cheeses. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top of the cheese;
13. Bake until browned and bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

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Crab Bisque Mac ‘n Cheese

By Paul Briand

Pinterest is a recipe magnet.

This relatively new social media site is a go-to location for foodies - the people who love to make good food and the people who love to eat it.

I saw this "pin" on Pinterest recently. That led me to a Fox News station, which acknowledged the recipe as originally coming from the Milk Marketing Board.

I made this as a side dish for a Father’s Day cookout. My only qualm was because of my own boo-boo. I made this a day ahead of time, and overcooked it somewhat. I then reheated it the day of the party, and overall it emerged too dry for my tastes.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth, canned or homemade
1 cup diced canned tomatoes, drained
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sharp Wisconsin cheddar, shredded, divided
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, divided
8 ounces cooked crabmeat; fresh, thawed or canned and drained
1 tablespoon dry sherry
8 ounces penne pasta, cooked al dente according to package directions, drained

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees;
2. In large, deep saucepan, melt 1/2 tablespoon butter until sizzling. Add onion; sauté over medium heat about 3 minutes or until tender;
3. Add remaining butter. When sizzling add the flour and cook, stirring, until the flour is golden;
4. Over medium heat, gradually whisk milk and chicken broth into flour butter mixture. Cook, stirring constantly 8 to 10 minutes, until the mixture is thick and smooth;
5. Stir in tomatoes, rosemary, salt and pepper. Bring just to boiling point and remove from heat;
6. Add 2/3 cup each of the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Stir until the cheese is melted;
7. Stir in crabmeat and sherry. Stir in the pasta, mixing well;
8. Transfer mixture to an 8-by-10 lightly buttered casserole (or slightly larger.) Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the casserole and bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes.

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Grilled Chicken and Bacon Mac ‘n Cheese

By Paul Briand

Mac ‘n cheese is all about comfort food, and we needed some comfort recently as my wife Jane’s family gathered in Maryland for the funeral of a beloved aunt.

And what better source for comfort food, at least in my mind, than Rachael Ray.

Her recipe for Grilled Chicken and Bacon Mac ‘n Cheese struck a chord because it was relatively easy to prepare, it served a lot of people … and it had bacon. You can never go wrong cooking with bacon.

I basically doubled this recipe to handle six people (there were leftovers). And I didn’t use fresh thyme (I used what was in the spice rack), and I used a bag of Italian blend cheeses rather than the Gruyere.

Ingredients
6 slices good-quality smoky bacon, such as applewood smoked bacon
Salt and pepper
1 pound whole wheat short-cut pasta
2 skinless chicken breasts, lightly pounded
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, quartered lengthwise and very thinly sliced
2 rounded tablespoons flour
1/2 cup cloudy apple cider or chicken stock
2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
1 cup Gruyère cheese, shredded
Chopped flat leaf parsley or celery greens, for garnish

Directions

1.Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees;
2. Arrange the bacon on a slotted broiler pan or on a rack placed over a baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 15 minutes. Chop and reserve. Switch on the broiler and position the rack in the center of the oven;
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt it, add the pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the instructions indicate, or until just shy of al dente. Drain and return to the pot;
4. While the pasta is working, heat a grill pan or cast iron griddle over medium-high heat. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil to coat lightly, then season evenly with paprika, salt and pepper;
5. Grill the chicken for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally.Transfer to a cutting board and halve the pieces lengthwise, then thinly slice them crosswise;
6. While the chicken cooks, melt the butter in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until light golden brown and very soft, 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute;
7. Whisk in the cider (or stock), then add the milk. Bring to a boil and cook, whisking, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 3-4 minutes. Add the thyme and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the cheese until melted;
8. Add the chicken, bacon and sauce to the pasta and transfer to a casserole. Broil until bubbling and browned, about 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley or celery greens.

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Lobster Mac & Cheese

By Paul Briand

If you’re looking for a fish recipe for no-meat Fridays during Lent -- and you’re willing to fork over a few bucks -- here’s sinfully rich dish that combines lobster meat with very cheesy macaroni and cheese.

Fresh lobster meat -- picked from a cooked lobster -- isn’t cheap, but it’s oh so good when lightly sauted in butter and lemon then folded into a cheese sauce that combines Parmesan and Monterey Jack and is topped with sharp cheddar.

Ingredients

1 pound box of Rotoni macaroni

3 heaping tablespoons flour

8 tablespoons of butter, divided

3 cups of whole milk

7 ounce package of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

7 ounce package of shredded Monterey Jack cheese

7 ounce package of shredded Parmesan cheese

2/3 to 1 pound of fresh lobster meat

Old Bay seasoning

Lemon juice

Panko bread crumbs

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees;

2. Cook the Rotoni according to the directions on the box, drain, set aside;

3. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter and stir in enough flour to make a roux;

4. Add milk slowly to the roux, constantly stirring;

5. Reduce heat and add the Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheese, continuing to stir;

6. When cheese has fully melted, remove pan from heat;

7. In separate small saute pan over medium high heat, melt remaining butter then lightly saute lobster meat then spritz with a dash of lemon juice;

8. Return cheese skillet to the heat and fold the lobster fully into the mixture;

9. Add a generous palmful of Old Bay;

10. In large bowl, pour the drained Rotoni and mix in the lobster and cheese mixture;

11. Pour entire mixture into a large casserole dish, top with cheddar cheese;

12. Cook for 20 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle bread crumbs (half a cup or so) then cook another 10 minutes;

13. Remove from oven, let sit about 5 minutes then serve in generous slices.

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Orecchiette Mac & Cheese

By Paul Briand

Bottom line: Was my Orecchiette Mac & Cheese as good as it was at the Fuze Restaurant in Avalon, N.J.?

No.

It was a noble effort, but the creaminess and texture and combination of flavors in the original far outdid what I was able to replicate at home.

To review:

My wife Jane and I did some traveling last month and ate a lot of restaurant food. We were particularly taken with the mac and cheese offering at the Fuze. See last week's post.

It took a bit of work to reverse engineer the dish to create a recipe.

From our memory of the dish and from the bits and pieces we know from the menu description, it uses orecchiette pasta, which I hadn't heard of before. It found that orecchiette literally means “little ears,” although some people find them more dome-shaped than ear-shaped. They work well with chunky meat and vegetable sauces.

The recipe also describes it as "crispy spec, oven roasted tomato compote, chive, Wisconsin béchamel, herb and toasted bread crumb."

Here's my interpretation:

Ingredients

16 ounce box of orecchiette pasta

1 pound thick-cut bacon

1 pound aged cheddar, grated

14 1/2 ounce can of roasted diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

2 tablespoon butter

Chive, chopped

For béchamel sauce:

3 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1/4 tablespoon nutmeg

Directions

1. Prepare the béchamel sauce

In medium sauce pan, heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add flour and stir until smooth and mixture turns a light golden sandy color. Meanwhile, heat the milk until it almost boils. Then add the hot milk to the butter mixture, a little at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to boil then remove from heat and set aside;

2. Cook bacon until crispy done. Remove and pat away grease from cooked bacon with paper towel. Set aside;

3. Cook pasta according to box instructions. Drain and set aside;

4. Using 2 tablespoons of butter melted in a skillet, sautee bread crumbs and set aside;

5. With béchamel sauce returned to medium heat, whisk in the grated cheese a handful at a time and repeat until all the cheese is melted into the sauce;

6. Place pasta in large mixing bowl, stir in cheese sauce;

7. Crumble bacon into cheese and pasta mixture and stir;

8. Add roasted dice tomatoes to the mixture;

9. Pour entire mixture into medium large backing dish and spread evenly;

10. Top with sautéed bread crumbs;

11. Add palm-ful of chopped chives;

12. Place the baking dish into oven pre-heated to 350 degrees and cook until the mixture gets bubbly and bread crumbs start turning a deep brown.

Mine wasn't as gooey as the original. It needed more cheddar and a good dose of mozzarella. But it was definitely worth the effort.

Really now, can you ever have too much mac 'n cheese or too many mac n' cheese recipes?

Road food comes home

By Paul Briand

For the last couple of weeks, wife Jane and I have been on the road, vacating and eating our way through various parts of Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey.

Eating good food is a big part of any vacation.

We had crab of just about every kind, including a Blue Crab Salsa.

Some of what we had was so good I wanted to try to figure out the recipe to create the dish to eat at home.

That's my current challenge with the Orecchiette Mac & Cheese (pictured) we had at the Fuze restaurant in Avalon, N.J.

Drinking one night at Fuze the bar -- which had a very, very expensive bottle of Louis XIII bottle of cognac in a lighted display -- we overheard the talk about the mac and cheese dish and how popular it was.

A couple of nights later, when we had it ourselves as an appetizer, it was clear the dish was worth the raves -- rich, creamy, full of flavor.

So my question was: How do I recreate this at home?

I had a few hints from the menu to go on: "crispy speck, oven roasted tomato compote, chive, Wisconsin bechamel, herb bread crumb."

My ingredients will include a Orecchiette pasta, béchamel, Wisconsin cheddar cheese, oven roasted tomato, bread crumbs and chive.

But this is going to take some forensics to reverse engineer to get the correct balance of those ingredients.

I'll report back next week.