macaroni – Cooking the Books

Well, this was a trying week, after weeks of trying weeks. My 2020 Bingo card did not have my first derecho on it, and it was not a welcome addition.

However, at this point, with no loss of life nor limb, no property destroyed, few groceries lost, and power restored, it’s quite easy for me to feel grateful for this week. Plus, I had so much unexpected free time to binge through my favorite lesbian necromancer fantasy series.

For those still suffering through the fallout from the storm, my thoughts are with you.

This week has also given me a new appreciation for having shelf-stable items in our pantry. Before the pandemic, I wasn’t a survivalist, and I am still not there yet, but I have been thinking more about being adaptable and having on-hand items that will keep. That’s part of what made this week’s recipe of three-ingredient (plus salt, optional) mac & cheese from Serious Eats such a draw.

It’s quick, it’s easy, and two of the three ingredients will last a very, very long time, and one will merely last a long time and is pretty easily replaced. Just keep some macaroni, or other small pasta, and some evaporated milk on your shelf, and some cheese in your fridge, and you’ll almost always have a dinner that takes just 10 minutes to make.

It is great.

Since I wanted to make it in my 9-inch skillet, I could only use half of the evaporated milk — which is as the recipe called for — but if you really wanted to double it, I’m sure it’d work in a larger skillet or Dutch oven.

The proportions are pretty easy to remember (though it helps to have a scale) as it’s 6 oz. each of the evaporated milk, dry pasta, and cheese, and a pinch of salt, plus some water to cover the pasta. The evaporated milk, for us, came in a 12 oz. can, so doubling would I assume/hope come up with 12 oz. of each, but only the 6 oz. amounts will fit in a 9-inch skillet.

Plus, since I made it twice, I did learn that you can either buy a block of cheddar (or other cheese) or buy pre-shredded cheese, and both work just as well. Though I only played with sharp cheddar, it does say you can use any other cheese that would melt down well.

It’s nothing fancy, obviously, but these days, simple and shelf-stable are so welcome.

Here’s what I did, following the recipe:

Ingredients

6 oz. evaporated milk
6 oz. shredded cheddar
6 oz. dry macaroni pasta
Pinch of salt, for boiling, optional
Pepper, for serving, optional
Water, to cover the pasta

Directions

In a 9- to 10-inch skillet, pour in the dry pasta, and add water to just cover the pasta. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt, if using. Bring to a boil over high heat, and continue to cook on high to medium-high heat, stirring often to prevent sticking, until the water is mostly evaporated and the pasta is al dente, about 6 minutes (another easy to remember number!).

Add the milk and bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the cheese, and cook until melted, and the sauce has cooked down, another 2 to 3 minutes.

Season with more salt, if desired, and pepper, to taste, and serve immediately and enjoy!

I was looking for something different to try this week and that’s when a new message popped up. My brother Nate came through out of the blue with a mac and cheese recipe for me.

It turned out that the gift of a new, fun recipe just when I needed it came about because he had bought his wife Monique a birthday present of the delightful-sounding book “Bread, Toast, Crumbs” by Alexandra Stafford. BTW, Happy Birthday, Monique!

While I just used the image my brother sent me for this post, it definitely sounds like the type of book that belongs in my kitchen, as I love carbs and crumbs. My test with mac and cheese was mostly positive, if not perfect.

Despite my pronounced love for crumbs, I must have accidentally added more than the recipe, or perhaps because there was a note in the text to another page for homemade crumbs, I ended up with an over-abundance. Don’t get me wrong, the crumbs *tasted* great, but they were a bit overwhelming versus the mac and cheese.

But for that error, I only blame myself and my lack of owning the book.

I also failed to purchase more parchment paper after using it up for last week’s ratatouille, which may have contributed to a drier and darker mac and cheese, though the latter didn’t bother me at all and the former also probably an error I made in adding too much of the mac, defying instructions.

If you’re sensing a theme, it’s that in cooking there’s always a balance between trusting your gut and trusting the expert recipe; and, in this case, I erred toward my own opinions and judgment. But I won’t disavow my gut altogether. There’s some logic in what works for my palate and some room for error in how an item cooks in my oven, but this time, not so much.

Even though my attempt didn’t turn out perfectly, I had no problem eating it as leftovers throughout the week, and I’m adding the book to my cart right now.

So many crumbs. Yet, so much deliciousness.

Here’s what I did (or, more accurately, what I should have done):

Ingredients

12 oz. elbow macaroni (I used 16 to use up the whole box, but in hindsight, it would’ve been better with less)
1 stick (8 T.) unsalted butter, divided
¼ c. all-purpose flour
2 c. whole milk
2 c. store-bought bread crumbs (The recipe called for 3, but also apparently how to make them homemade. Since 3 c. was too much, I’d go to 2 c. but I left all else for the crumb mix the same as the recipe called for, because delicious flavor!)
½ c. fresh parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used much more because I love garlic, but add to your tastes)
5 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees, and bring a large pot of water (salted if desired) to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook to al dente for 5 minutes. Drain but don’t rinse, and set aside.

In the same large pot, melt half the butter over medium high heat. Add the flour, a little at a time, whisking constantly, and continue to stir for about a minute. Add the milk, and 2 c. water, continuing to whisk to ensure nothing is stuck to the bottom. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes (mine took longer than the recipe stated, closer to 30 than the 20 in the recipe) until the mixture is thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and add more salt or pepper to taste.

In a medium bowl, melt the remaining butter. Then, add the bread crumbs, parsley, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In the pot with the sauce, add the Parmesan cheese (I left a little for topping but it’s optional), and then add in the macaroni. Stir until cheese is melted and mac is coated.

Line the bottom of a large rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper (optional but recommended), and spread the mac mixture on top. Add the mozzarella cubes evenly throughout, and then top with the bread crumb mixture, and any leftover Parmesan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the crumbs are golden and the mac mixture is bubbling. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, and enjoy!

Important addendum:

My delightful brother sent the important context for the missing page with the note on bread crumbs. Mystery solved!

Tag: macaroni

Shelf-stability a plus for three-ingredient dinner

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