Comfort Foods: Mac and Cheese

It's finally here - the pilot post of The Happy Muffin! I promise you I haven't been sitting idle. In the past few weeks I've brainstormed ideas with family and friends,  scoured bookstores looking for great recipes, and spent more than a few nights in my kitchen. I decided to kick-off the first week with good old-fashioned comfort foods.

Comfort foods are dishes that have a sense of familiarity, like Mom's chicken and broccoli casserole, and lots of warmth, like a hearty beef stew with fluffy biscuits. Although these are unique to each person's experiences and memories, there are a few select dishes that are universally considered classic comfort food.

For example, macaroni and cheese is considered, hands down, one of the best comfort foods. After all, who could resist all that warm, gooey cheese and delicious elbow macaroni? I found this recipe while watching Barefoot Contessa, and I had to try it. The best part of this recipe is that you can substitute whichever cheeses you prefer and it still comes out beautifully. I served this for a group of friends and everyone raved about how delicious it was. The crust of tomatoes and homemade breadcrumbs is a "gratin languedocien", which adds color, texture, and a bit of rustic French flair to this dish . Bon appetit!

The tomatoes make it healthy, right?

Plated by Nathan Trinh. Yummy!

Mac and Cheese
(as adapted from: 2002, Barefoot Contessa Family Style)

 6 to 8 servings

• Kosher salt
• 1 pound cavatappi (or elbow macaroni)
• 1 quart whole milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups)
• 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 small fresh tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

ONE: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

TWO: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the macaroni and cook one minute less than the directions on the package. Drain well.

THREE: Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, pepper, nutmetg, and 1 tablespoon salt. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

FOUR: Thinly slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh breadcrumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on top.

Printable version!