JUNE 2017: Mac n Cheese

photoed by A. Rajan

After tasting Kraft Dinner, I wasn’t impressed with the box dinner concept. I was kind of not a Mac n Cheese girl. One of the pub nights with my colleagues, I ordered Mac n Cheese with smoked paprika and blackened Chicken as a garnish. The Mac n Cheese itself was so yummy that I was hooked. I started craving for the exact taste; never mind the Chicken.

So, one evening on my hubby’s birthday, my friends and I showed up to surprise him. The only thing I could think of to make was... Mac n Cheese.


Ingredients:
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3 cups pasta (macaroni, bow tie pasta, penne, shell or whatever)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon of unbleached all-purpose flour
1-2 cloves of garlic
One whole bunch of green onions (about 6-7 stalks) 
2-3 cups whole milk
2 cups cheddar cheese (or a mix of mozzarella and cheddar)
Smoked paprika
Salt and pepper 
1 oval baking dish, slightly buttered

How to?
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Get a big pot of water to a rolling boil, 
add little salt and olive oil into it. 

Now cook your pasta; don’t over cook; it still needs a bite to it (al dente).
In a pan, add butter and olive oil together.

Sauté the flour into it and 
keep stirring till the raw smell goes off; 
(I don’t mind if it looks slightly browned). 

Once that’s done, lightly sauté grated garlic; and then 
add green onions to it. 

After about two to three minutes, add milk into this mix. 
Keep stirring till the sauce thickens to white sauce consistency. 
(If its not happening, don’t worry); 
add one (1) cup of grated cheese into this mixture.

Add paprika, salt, and pepper.
Now add pasta to this mix. 
Cook for 2 minutes. 
Now transfer the pasta in an oval baking dish. 

Layer the remaining cup of grated cheese on top, and a pinch or two of smoked paprika.

photoed by A. Rajan

Preheat oven at 350 degrees and 
let the pasta bake for about 10-12 min, and then 
set the oven to broil setting for about 3-5 minutes. 

I started doing something else during this process; hence instead of golden brown, you can see burnt black on top. 

Still it turned out fabulous. Everyone loved it! 

Easy and delicious. Please try it yourself and let us know.
--A.R.