Vadouvan Mac and Cheese 6 Comments

Ingredients

6	slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into ¼- to ½-inch pieces
8	tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
5 ½	cups milk
½	cup all-purpose flour
2	teaspoons kosher salt
3	tablespoons vadouvan spice blend
¼	teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1	tablespoon ground chipotle
4 ½	cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar
2	cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or 1 ¼ cups (about 5 ounces) grated pecorino Romano
1	pound elbow macaroni
–	Vadouvan spice blend recipe

Serves

12

Directions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, black pepper, vadouvan, ground chipotle, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 ½ cups Gruyere or 1 cup pecorino Romano. Set cheese sauce aside.

Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer’s directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 ½ cups cheddar and ½ cup Gruyere or ¼ cup pecorino Romano; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.

Credit

Loosely based on Martha Stewart Mac and Cheese

Filed Under

Main Course and Pasta