Care giving limits my time as responsibilities take up much of the day; therefore, I am constantly seeking hacks to allow time for my other interests… which mostly include cheese and sleeping… I also try to multi-task such as I am doing now: cooking made-from-scratch beef stew, watching the Congressional Committee interview Mrs. Clinton and write this posting… bam… getting it done…
In the evenings as I visit with my mom, affectionately known as Miss Anne, and my husband, affectionately known as The Man, I multi-task then as well… one of my favorite tasks is checking out Pinterest. A few nights ago on Pinterest I can across a pin for making the “Best – Easiest – Tastiest Mac n Cheese Ever“… needless to say, it caught my attention. The Pin had three pictures and three steps:
- Combine 2 cups of milk and 2 cups of uncooked pasta in a pot.
- Simmer until pasta is cooked.
- Add 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese.
Seriously, that’s the entire recipe…
So… Miss Anne and I discussed it; determined the starch from the pasta should be sufficient to thicken the sauce. We decided to use half chicken stock to add flavor. The sauce would have been richer had we used only whole milk. Regardless, this simple recipe was packed with flavor and a lot easier than spending time making a cheese sauce. Also, much faster clean-up when you make everything in one pot.
Here’s what I did:
Ingredients:
1 Package mild Italian sausage links (5)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 cups uncooked penne pasta
2 cups Shredded Cabot 16-month Private Stock Cheddar
1 cup Shredded Boar’s Head Fontina
1 cup frozen peas
Preparations:
Saute sausage until cooked through. Slice into rounds and brown without over-cooking. Set aside; leaving residue in pot.
Combine milk, stock and pasta in same pot. Bring to simmer and cook on low heat until pasta is al dente.
Add shredded cheeses.
Mix until cheese melts.
Add sausage rounds and frozen peas.
Serve immediately.
Not only was it easy but also tasty. I chose to use two cheeses both for flavor and also the Fontina, which is a pasta filata cheese, ensures that the cheddar will not separate when melted. I also added the sausage and peas to create a complete entree rather than a side dish.
I topped mine with freshly ground pepper and red chili pepper flakes.
Interviews with All Cheese Professionals: Cheesemakers andCheese Professionals
Interviews will continue throughout 2015… sometimes, they will be “stand-alone” and sometimes they will be presented as round-table discussions with several Cheese Professionals answering the same question. Those participating include Cheesemakers, ACS CCPs™,Cheesemongers and Cheese Professionals and Experts who contribute to this Wonderful World we call “Cheese”.
List of all Interviews from 2013: Cheesemakers, Cheesemongers.
List of 2015 Cheese Professionals.
List of all Cheese Professionals Bios.
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FTC Disclosure: The manufacturer sent me some of these cheeses, without any obligation on my part, hoping I would review the product. Please see my About Me Page for details.
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