Urban Pulse Direct Issue Fall Oct,Dec. 2015 | Page 8

URBAN PULSE

S E RV I C E S
Super Creamy
Macaroni and Cheese
©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 20 min |Cook time: 30 min |

Yield: About 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups half-and-half or whole milk
1 pound block of original Velveeta brand cheese, cut into small
cubes
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, optional
Instructions
Butter a 4 quart baking dish; set aside. Boil macaroni according to
package directions, rinse and set aside to drain. Preheat oven to
375 degrees F. Stir together the shredded cheeses and set aside.
Pour half and half or milk into a medium saucepan, add Velveeta
and cook over medium low heat until all of the cheese has
melted. Remove from the heat and set aside. Crack eggs
into a separate bowl and lightly whisk. Scoop out some of the
cheese sauce and slowly add that to the eggs to temper them,
continuously whisking as you add the hot cheese sauce to the
eggs. Once eggs are well tempered, add them to the cheese
sauce and whisk together until well mixed.
Mix together the salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning, if using. Layer
half of the noodles in the baking pan and season with half of
the salt and pepper mixture. Slice thin layers of half of the cold
butter and spread them around on top of the noodles. Sprinkle
1/2 of the cheddar/jack cheese combo over the noodles. Ladle
1/2 of the Velveeta cheese sauce over that. Repeat the layers of
noodles, seasoning, butter and Velveeta sauce, except reserve
remaining cheese for later.
Bake at 375 degrees F, uncovered, for 20 minutes, remove from
oven, top with remaining cheese and return to the oven for
another 10 to 15 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned on
top.
Make Ahead Tips: I do not recommend assembling macaroni
and cheese ahead as the pasta tends to absorb the sauce,
giving a dry result after baking. What I do is to prepare the
macaroni ahead, rinse and drain well, then store in a sealed
container in the refrigerator. I also shred the cheese ahead,
loosely bag and refrigerate. The cheese sauce may also be
made ahead and rewarmed on low, however I find it just
as quick to make that fresh when I assemble and bake the
casserole.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com

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