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The combination of flavors you get with each of the cheeses, combined with a really great pasta form (cavatappi has been making regular appearances in our kitchen) and very decent ale was even better than I might have hoped.
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I would be very pleased to have ordered this mac and cheese with a beer in a pub and would make this for dinner guests as well.
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The nutritional yeast adds a touch of umami.– Katie Quinnĭo I need another way to make mac and cheese? The question really ought to be SHOULD I know how many wonderful ways there are, for different times and circumstances (yes!!), and this is one I definitely want to have again and again. The last move is to transform the bechamel into what’s called a Mornay sauce by mixing in shredded cheeses: Comte, a quality Cheddar, beautiful burnt-orange Red Leicester (or Colby), and some mozzarella. You start with a roux, which will be your base for the bechamel sauce (a term used whenever dairy is added to a roux), and I go an unconventional step further by adding a hefty swig of ale. (Fun fact: Cavatappi is the Italian word for “corkscrew.”) Its hollow, vivacious curves are ideal for holding the gooiness, and its length inspires a slurp of cheesy goodness. Trust me, once you go cavatappi, you won’t return. Hat-tip to Teresa for her use of cavatappi as the pasta, rather than the staid elbow noodle. For the recipe itself, I was inspired by my friend Teresa, who makes a killer mac ’n’ cheese with bechamel sauce as a base, and my buddy Izy Hossack, who suggested I add mozzarella for its alluring stringy pull. Here is a dish inspired by a British pub hang, complete with ale and spicy, crunchy chili-flavored rice crackers, a classic bar snack.
#MAKING A BECHAMEL FOR MAC AND CHEESE CRACKER#
Full of umami deliciousness, the inspired crispy chili cracker crumb topping makes these noodles that much more, well, moreish.Īdapted from Katie Quinn | Cheese, Wine, and Bread | William Morrow Cookbooks, 2021 Mac and cheese with beer uses indecent amounts of cheese to make the most sumptuous mac and cheese we’ve ever served.