The party started early today at “The Manse” as our dear Spaulding Gray called our home. I’m on an extended East Coast Time Zone schedule which started February 12th and will continue until at least mid-March as I travel back and forth from the East to the West each week; rising at 6am while in New York and 3am when at home in the Pacific Northwest. Bedtime comes early in Washington State but I sleep better and that’s the point… but I digress…
The Man and I are watching Best Picture nominated movies and will be eating award-winning cheeses in various forms and fashions throughout the day.
The first course of the day is baked mac n cheese using a 2-year Raw Milk Grafton Village Cheddar (which will be reviewed here in the coming days), a small amount of Sartori’s Sarvecchio and BelGioioso’s Creamy Fontina, one of my “go-to” cheeses… I keep plenty of Fontina on hand for cooking; its melting capabilities keep other cheeses from separating and produce creamy sauces every time.
Here’s what I did:
Ingredients:
Fried Shoestring Onions (Recipe from ourbestbites.com)
Chimay Salted Butter, softened
8 ounces Grafton Village 2-Year Aged, Raw Milk Cheddar, Grated
2 Ounces Sartori Sarvecchio, Grated
8 Ounces BelGioioso Fontina, Grated
4 Cups Uncooked macaroni (I used shells because that’s what was in the cupboard)
3 Cups Evaporated Milk
2 Cups Panko
4 Ounces Chimay Salted Butter, melted
Salt and Pepper to taste
Chili Pepper flakes to taste (optional)
Preparations:
Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
Prepare Fried Shoestring Onions per recipe.
Rub inside of cast iron skillet or baking dish with softened Chimay Salted Butter.
Grate cheeses and mix together well. Set aside.
Cook macaroni in salted water until just tender; a little before al dente. Drain, do not rinse, and set aside. When cooled, put into skillet or baking dish.
Cover macaroni with grated cheeses.
Sprinkle salt, pepper and chili flakes on top of cheese.
Top with evaporated milk.
Combine panko and melted butter until all panko is wet.
Top the mixture with the panko.
Bake for 35-45 minutes until bubbly and panko is golden brown.
Let sit for about 10 minutes.
Dish up and top with fried shoestring onions.
Enjoy the awards!!!
FTC Full Disclosure – The manufacturer sent me their product(s), without any obligation on my part, hoping I would review the product/cheese. For more information, please see my About Me page.
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