Gouda Mac ’n’ Cheese
Written by Laura Onstot
© Yasmin Alishav
Mac ’n’ cheese might not traditionally be thought of as a food for lovers, but Tricia Lawver’s recipe has a very romantic origin. “My parents met in, like, sixth grade and dated all through high school,” she explains.
Her dad went into the military and her newly married parents moved to Berlin. When they returned to the United States, “they brought some of the German tradition back,” Tricia says. Her mom, for instance, would make macaroni and cheese with kielbasa sausage in it.
When 39-year-old Tricia started making her own version of the family recipe, she made a few tweaks in the direction of gourmet. “I started using smoked Gouda cheese, or sometimes I’ll use truffle cheese,” she says.
These days, Tricia, a former ballet dancer who’s now a server and bartender, breaks out the upscale version of her parents’ recipe when she entertains. Thanks to a plethora of friends and family nearby, it’s common to have big crowds on special occasions.
She’ll throw an Election Night bash or host a casual pre-Christmas dinner, and her Gouda mac ’n’ cheese regularly makes an appearance. “[The recipe] makes a big portion — it’s always something we can have at a buffet,” she says. “And macaroni and cheese is a food that everyone loves.”
© Yasmin Alishav
Ingredients:
1?2 pound shell pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 kielbasa sausages
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
4 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1/2 white onion
Pinch of nutmeg
2 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese, divided
Salt and white pepper
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
Directions:
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Read cooking directions on pasta package. Boil pasta in salted water for 3/4 of the recommended cooking time. At that point, drain pasta and run under cold water, or plunge into an ice bath. Once cool, toss in 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.
3. Cut sausage on the bias into1?4-inch pieces.
4. Sauté kielbasa in 1 teaspoon butter and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil until crispy, about 10-15 minutes on medium-high heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove cooked sausage from pan and set aside.
5. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons butter to the same pan and melt on low to medium heat.
6. Sprinkle flour over butter and oil, and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Slowly whisk in milk, stirring constantly. Bring mixture to a simmer.
7. Use cloves to attach bay leaves to onion. (Push cloves through bay leaves and into onion.) Place onion into milk mixture and simmer over medium heat 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Strain milk mixture through a mesh strainer. Add nutmeg and 1 1/2 cups gouda. Stir until melted.
9. Add sausage and shells to sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Place mixture in a glass baking dish, and sprinkle with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs. Wrap in foil.
10. Bake for 30 minutes and remove foil. Set oven to broil. Broil top for 2-4 minutes, until golden.
11. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.
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