Cast Iron Mac And Cheese Recipes

CAST-IRON MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat broiler. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (covered to speed things up). Heat a large cast-iron skillet (8 to 10 inches across, and 2 inches or more deep) over low heat.
• 2. When the water boils, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Set a timer, since you'll be distracted by the next steps.
• Use a thick potholder with that skillet! Cast iron gets very, very hot. After burning my hand one too many times, I learned to pull a small dishtowel through the hole in the skillet's handle. It serves as a good visual reminder-just be sure it's kept well away from the flame. One of my mom-testers offered another bit of advice: Always use two (potholdered) hands when picking up a cast-iron pan. Otherwise, you might casually try to grab it with your free, bare, hand. Ow.
• 3. While the pasta cooks, make the cheese sauce: Put the butter into the now very-hot skillet. It should melt, foam, and begin to brown almost immediately. Pour in the milk, then add the mustard, paprika, and salt, and whisk together.
• 4. Set aside 1/2 cup of the grated cheese for topping the final dish. Begin to add the rest of the cheese to the skillet, one handful at a time, whisking between each addition. When it has all melted, sift the flour over the skillet, one tablespoon at a time, whisking after each spoonful. Stop adding the flour when the sauce is almost as thick as housepaint.
• Easiest way to sift small amounts of flour: Use a regular old strainer.
• 5. Continue to cook the sauce, whisking constantly, until pasta is cooked. Drain the pasta well and add to the skillet, then remove from the heat.
• 6. Stir pasta and cheese sauce together until fully combined, then sprinkle the top with the reserved grated cheese. Broil until top is browned and bubbly, 4 to 6 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before serving.
• VARIATIONS
• • Go southwestern by adding a strained 10-ounce can of diced tomatoes and green chiles (such as Ro-Tel) or a generous cup of your favorite salsa, drained. Use Cheddar and Jack cheeses in the sauce. • Smoke it up by frying 2 diced strips of bacon in the skillet before adding the milk. Skip the butter completely. • Add 8 ounces frozen vegetables (your choice) to the pasta pot about 5 minutes before pasta is done. Since the water will take a little time to come back up to a boil, increase the cooking time by a minute or two. • Don't laugh, but a couple of diced hot dogs, cooked in the butter then removed until you stir it back in with the cooked pasta, makes for a surprisingly delicious twist. Use organic, kosher, or even tofu pups. • Make it secretly healthy by stirring a 10-ounce package of frozen butternut squash puree, defrosted, into the cheese sauce just before adding the pasta.

SKILLET MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain., Meanwhile, in a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually whisk in cream. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat; stir in cheese until melted., Add macaroni; cook and stir until heated through. Top as desired.

DUTCH OVEN MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add shells and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Heat an oven-safe Dutch oven over medium heat. Melt butter and flour in the hot pot, stirring, until blended; pour in milk and heavy cream, whisking continuously, until mixture comes to a boil. Continue to boil, stirring continuously, for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; continue to stir until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
• Slowly fold in cheeses until melted and smooth. It is okay to raise the heat if you have to, just remember to keep stirring while the heat is on. Fold in cooked pasta until it is coated with cheese.
• Combine panko bread crumbs, salt, garlic salt, black pepper, onion powder, and taco seasoning in a bowl. Sprinkle macaroni mixture with just enough of the bread crumbs to coat most of the surface; you should still see some pasta underneath the bread crumbs.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Turn on the oven's broiler and continue to cook until crust is golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 15 to 20 minutes before serving.