Party Food

On Sunday I had a picnic to go to and I needed to whip something up really quickly as I had lots of other things going on. I decided on a simple but very tasty little snack with only a couple of ingredients.

Caramelized Onion and Gorgonzola Tarts

2 T. olive oil
1 large, sweet onion, sliced into thin strips
3/4 c. crumbled gorgonzola
black pepper
chives
30 mini-phyllo cups

Caramelize the onions for about 45 minutes, then crumble up the cheese into the mix, add some black pepper and snippets of chive for color, scoop a spoonful into each phyllo cup and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes. How do you love that? Add more cheese if you like, or sub a different kind of cheese.

Then Tuesday rolled around and I decided to make a big, disgusting tray of macaroni and cheese to celebrate Maria's last Tuesday as a single woman. I saw this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs. This recipe was being touted for its reheating ease-or not turning into a hard, congealed lump of solid cheese after cooling. It definitely stayed creamy after reheating but I would have liked the flavor to be a bit cheesier. Still a good, basic recipe though.

Martha Stewart’s Creamy Mac-and-Cheese
Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics

Now, please be warned, this makes a ton-a mac-and-cheese. Not interested in going on an all-mac, all-the-time diet this week, but wishing to try the recipe at last, I halved it and guess what? We still had three dinner’s worth of mac-and-cheese, or a full six servings. Which is, of course, what the recipe said it would make if halved, but I was in denial.


Serves 12

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.

2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); set the cheese sauce aside.

5. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère (or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano), and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes (though we needed a bit more time to get it brown, but your oven may vary). Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5minutes before serving.


*Notes: I didn't like the look of the cubed bread, I used panko instead.