Macaroni and Cheese
When I thought of this week’s CeciStyle theme, I thought how perfect it would be to have Peter Callahan of Callahan Catering as one of my experts. He is known for “playing with his food” and in turn has created the most clever miniature hors d’oeuvres that I’ve ever seen – from his creative take on Pigs in a Blanket Two Ways, to the most adorable mini-burgers. His food is art – designed to be enjoyed for all ages. Lucky for us, he’s kindly given us one of his popular recipes to try at home. I don’t know about you, but as I kid I loved it and even now as an adult, I can never deny the opportunity to eat good ol mac and cheese!
Yields: 24 hors d’oeuvres
For the Parmesan Cups:
1 1/4 cups finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
For the Macaroni
1 teaspoon coarse salt, for cooking macaroni
1 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup grated extra-sharp white cheddar
1 cup grated Cotswald cheese
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Parmesan Cups:
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon of the grated Parmesan, using the back of the teaspoon to spread the cheese out into the size of a silver dollar. Repeat twice so you have 3 cheese circles cooking at once. After 2 minutes, when the cheese is golden, carefully flip it over using a small spatula. Cook the other side until golden, 20 to 30 seconds and then immediately transfer it to a 1 ½ inch tart pan, or put over the bottom of a small glass (about 1 ½ inch diameter), to create a cup. Let cool and remove.
Macaroni:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and the macaroni and return to a boil. Cook following the package instructions until the pasta is al dente. Rinse under cold water, to stop the cooking, drain and set aside.
Cheese Sauce:
Pour the cream into a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and gently simmer over medium to medium-low heat (be careful so the cream doesn’t bubble up and out of the saucepan) until it is reduced by half, about 20-30 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the cheddar, Cotwald, and Parmesan cheeses and whisk until the sauce is completely smooth. Stir in the cooked macaroni and remove from the heat.
Spoon macaroni mixture into parmesan cup and garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!
