Eat This: Gourmet Mac 'n Cheese

Two Cheese Mac ‘n Cheese
(Serves 6)

• 5 quarts water, salted
• 1 pound large elbow macaroni (or shells work nicely as well)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• ½ cup gouda, shredded (we recommend a sharp, aged gouda)
• ½ cup Knight’s Vail, shredded
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Béchamel sauce:
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoons butter
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk (whole or reduced fat)

In a large pot, boil water and cook macaroni until al dente. Drain well, set aside.
Sweat shallots with 1 tablespoon butter in a small pan over low heat until translucent (do not allow shallots to brown); set aside.

Prepare the Béchamel sauce. Begin making a roux by melting ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan over low heat. When butter starts to bubble, slowly whisk in flour (making sure no lumps are apparent) and cook flour butter mixture for approximately 1 minute or until thickened (do not allow mixture to brown). Remove saucepan from heat and slowly add milk, whisking constantly until the flour butter mixture and milk are fully incorporated. Return saucepan to low heat and continue stirring until sauce has fully thickened (approx. 6-8 minutes). Stir in Knight’s Vail, gouda, shallots, and macaroni and allow sauce to simmer until cheese is completely melted. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

If you’d rather go out than cook, try some of our favorites around town:

Pimento mac ‘n cheese, $6
T’afia, 3701 Travis Street
www.tafia.com

Smoked gouda and gruyere mac ‘n cheese, $8
Open City, 2416 Brazos
www.ochouston.com

Blue cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and truffle mac ‘n cheese, $9
*17 (in the Alden Hotel), 1117 Prairie Street
www.aldenhotels.com

Photo courtesy of Flickr user evan 이벤젤린.