Have you ever cooked with black garlic or truffle oil before? Neither had I – until now.
Mac & cheese is the ultimate comfort food – but what if we improved it and made it unique? Think about it … not your kids boxed mac & cheese – this version is rich, decadent, and totally grown-up.
Sterling Avenue just celebrated our third birthday and I hope you were able to attend our festivities! We love birthdays and always try to go big with the celebration. Balloons, specials, food, and drinks.
One of the jobs I thoroughly enjoy is creating a menu of refreshments for the event with Lynn. We try our best to keep it new and unique, like us. This time, we wanted easy, comfort food with a refreshing drink perfect for the busy summertime.
The final menu included: Apple Cinnamon BBQ Meatballs, Kick in the Pants Snack Crackers, Blueberry Mint Lemonade, and Truffle Parmesan + Black Garlic Mac & Cheese. Yummy!!!
Why Mac-n-Cheese you ask? Many of our customers swear by our Finch + Fennel Truffle Parmesan + Black Garlic seasoning. They say it is fantastic on everything from steaks to popcorn, and use it as a daily seasoning. We just had to find out for ourselves.
Ingredients:
1 lb. elbow macaroni
3 Tb unsalted butter
3 Tb all-purpose flour
2 C whole milk
1 C heavy cream
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp nutmeg, grated
3 Tb F+F Truffle Parmesan & Black Garlic seasoning
4 oz. cream cheese
12 oz white cheddar, grated
8 oz. Gruyere, grated
Topping:
Directions:
Cook pasta per box directions. I usually add a Tb of oil and salt to the water.
- Drain and add cool water to stop the cooking process.
Make the roux:
- Melt butter in a large saucepan until bubbling.
- Add in flour and whisk for 2-3 minutes until combined and golden brown.
Add liquids by slowly whisking in milk and heavy cream, mixing until smooth.
Season: Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and Truffle Parmesan + Black Garlic Seasoning.
Add cheeses:
- Add cream cheese, mix until melted and smooth.
- Add grated cheeses, mix until melted and smooth.
Combine:
- Pour cheese mixture onto cooked and drained pasta. Stir to combine.
Prepare Topping:
- Melt butter with All Purpose seasoning
- Mix in bread crumbs.
- Sprinkle on top of the mac & cheese mixture.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.
Suggestions:
- Prep all ingredients in advance to avoid burning the roux or the cheese mixture.
- To prevent clumpy noodles: drain and rinse with cool water then toss with oil to coat pasta.
- Swiss cheese is a great budget-friendly substitute for Gruyere.
- Make it your own!
- Try individual servings: You can spoon mac & cheese mixture into individual crocks and top each off with topping before baking.
- For potlucks, you can spoon mac & cheese into a crockpot and keep on low or warm. We did this and then added the topping periodically as people were served. You can also place the topping near the crock for individuals to add for themselves.
Storage & Reheating:
Refrigerate the mac-n-cheese each evening. Add a couple tablespoons of milk or heavy cream when reheating, stir well, then re-add topping.
This recipe is budget-friendly comfort food, good for any small or large group, lunch or dinner, and for individuals, families, and potluck gatherings. This is what my family calls adult mac n cheese because it is not out of a box, and the kids will love it.
This is the kind of mac & cheese you dream about—rich, earthy, and utterly addictive. Try it now and let us know what you think.
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