Truffled Mac Cheese From Cookiing Light Recipes

TRUFFLED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan, add the mushrooms, and cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are tender. Add the sherry and continue to saute for a few more minutes, until the sherry is absorbed. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Add the pasta and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until al dente. Drain well.
• Meanwhile, melt the truffle butter in a large (4-quart) saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. Slowly whisk in the hot milk and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the white sauce is thickened and creamy. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, the pepper, and nutmeg.
• Combine the pasta, sauce, and mushrooms in a large bowl and pour them into a 10 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish.
• Place the garlic and parsley in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until they're minced. Add the bread crumbs and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the crumbs over the pasta and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the crumbs are golden brown. Serve hot.

TRUFFLED MAC & CHEESE FROM COOKIING LIGHT

Steps:

• Heat 1 3/4 cup milk, onion, and bay leaf in a large saucepan to 180 degrees or until tiny bubbles form around edges (do not boil). Cover and remove from eat; let stand 15 minutes.
• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
• Strain milk mixture through a solander over a bowl; discard solids. Return milk to saucepan over medium heat. Combine remaining 1/2 cup milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Gradually stir flour mixture and salt into warm milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; let stand 6 minutes or until mixuture cools to 155 degrees. Gradually add cheeses, stirring until cheeses are melted. Stir in pasta and truffle oil.
• Spoon mixture into a 2 quart buttered baking dish.
• Mix bread crumbs, parmesean cheese and garlic cloves together. Sprinkle on top
• Preheat broiler.
• Place dish on middle rack in oven; broil 2 minutes or until brown.
• (I preheated oven to 350 degrees and put into preheated oven for 15 minutes).

TRUFFLED MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, until not quite al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. While the pasta is still warm, drizzle with the truffle oil and stir well.
• Return the saucepan to medium-high heat and melt the 4 Tbs. butter. Add the flour, paprika and mustard and cook, stirring well, until no visible flour remains, 1 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk, half-and-half and a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Simmer, whisking frequently to smooth out any lumps, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add a pinch of pepper and 1 cup each of the Gruyere and cheddar. Stir until smooth.
• Pour the cheese sauce onto the prepared macaroni, add the minced chives or green onions and stir well. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheeses. Bake until the top is lightly browned and the sauce is bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.