Mushroom Herb Mac & Cheese

Instead of your typical Memorial Day BBQ my family ate, what my sister named, Memorial Day Mac.  My sister and I ran in the Ridgewood  Memorial Day 10k on Monday and instead of having a nice juicy burger afterwards, I made us mac & cheese.  My Dad asked me why did you decide to make mac & cheese today?! (I mean he did have a point it was 85 degrees and humid!)  I answered just because I had all the ingredients and why not!  I can eat mac & cheese anytime, regardless if we are all dying of heat while eating it.  This is not your typical mac & cheese, this version has tasty mushrooms and fresh herbs that compliment the massive amounts of cheese.  It is fancied up mac & cheese!  Unlike other mac & cheese, no stewed tomatoes are necessary on top, just enjoy this plain.

First, I melted butter in a pan and added mushrooms and minced shallot.  For the mushrooms I used baby bellas.

These cooked for about 5 minutes, until tender.  I then added the minced garlic and cooked for another 30 seconds.

I transferred the mushroom mixture to a bowl and added 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

In the same saucepan, I melted more butter and added 3 tablespoons of flour.

I whisked this together until it turned golden brown.

I chopped up some fresh basil and fresh rosemary.

I added the herbs to the flour mixture and whisked together.

I then whisked in 2 cups of 2% milk.

I stirred this for about 5 minutes until it thickened.

For the cheese, I used 2 cups of gruyere and 1 cup of cheddar (white and yellow).

With the heat on low, I added the cheese to the milk mixture.

Stirred it for a few minutes until it was thick and all the cheese melted.

Added in the cooked pasta and mushroom mixture.

I toasted 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs.

I put the pasta mixture into a greased casserole dish.

I added the breadcrumbs on top.

It baked for about 30 minutes, until bubbly.

This mac & cheese was great!  The mushrooms and herbs were a great addition.

Mushroom Herb Mac & Cheese (serves 6)

adapted from Annie’s Eats

1 lb. pasta shapes
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 lb. baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1 shallot, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 tsp. fresh basil, minced
3 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
2 cups 2 % milk
2 cups shredded or cubed Gruyere cheese
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
½ cup breadcrumbs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Grease a 9 x 13″ baking dish.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions, just until al dente.  Drain the pasta and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.  Add the chopped mushrooms and shallots to the pan and sauté until the mushrooms are tender and almost all of the liquid has evaporated from the pan, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and sauté about 1 minute more, just until fragrant.  Remove the pan from the heat, season the mixture with salt and pepper, and mix in the white wine vinegar.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat.  Once the butter is completely melted, whisk in the flour to form a paste.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden.  Stir in the fresh herbs and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.  Whisk in the milk and cook the mixture, stirring frequently, until the mixture simmers and begins to thicken.  Once the mixture has thickened, on low heat, whisk in the Gruyere and cheddar cheeses until completely melted and smooth.

Add cooked pasta and mushroom mixture to cheese sauce.  Toss well to thoroughly combine.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.  In a small pan combine the breadcrumbs with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, melted.  Toss with fork to coat the crumbs evenly.  Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the pasta in the baking dish.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until browned and bubbly.

Question:

Do you like fancied up mac & cheese or just the plain kind?