Tafari Cooks: Mac & Cheese

I was recently introduced to a new cheese the other day & I kinda fell in love with it. The cheese? Cheddar with caramelized onion from Trader Joe’s!!!

As I enjoyed it the other day with olives, peppers, & wine, I thought about how good the cheese would be in a mac & cheese.

Yesterday, all I could do was think about that cheese and using it in a dish. So, after a long day, I picked up a few things from the store & then this happened. Mac & cheese with a black truffle bread crumble.  My thought about the cheese being great for this dish was right on the money! Very savory, creamy & cheesy!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pasta (I used cavatappi)
  
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar with caramelized onion
  
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups of whole milk
• 1 cup of butter milk
  
• 2 1/2 tbsp flour
  
• Salt, pepper, & smoked paprika to taste

The Jump Off:

• Cook your pasta for 8-9 minutes then drain.
• In the same post you boiled your past, melt the butter & stir in the flour, which will make a roux. Add milks to roux slowly, while stirring constantly. Add in your premium cheeses to the mix and cook until the cheese has melted.
• As the mixture cooks, the sauce will start to thicken. Once it looks nice, thick, and creamy, turn off the heat then toss in your pasta & seasonings then give it a good stir.
• Add the pasta & sauce mixture into baking dish & place in the over for 20 minutes at 350º.

Black Truffle Bread Crumble:

• 3 tbsp of black truffle oil
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used Progresso Italian bread crumbs)
• In a pan, heat your oil on medium then toss in your breadcrumbs, which will sock up the oil. Cook until the crumbs start to brown.
• Add the crumbs to the top of your baked dish liberally and toss back into the over for a quick 10 minutes.  You could add the crumble before baking the dish but this worked for me. I didn’t want to experience burnt/dried out crumbs.