A Hungry Bear

Mac & cheese makes me crazy. Like football. I count down to the next time I allow myself the indulgence of mac & cheese like I count down to Football Sundays. This new recipe was the equivalent of the Steelers winning the Super Bowl in the last seconds of the game: it was the best mac & cheese I’ve ever made. Of course, this is coming from the girl who can eat leeks for dessert, so keep that in mind. But I think you should try this, immediately if not sooner.

This recipe is adapted from one I found in March 2009 Bon Appetit. I substituted goat cheese for some of the cheddar, since that’s one of my favorite flavor combinations, plus a few other changes. The original can be found here.

Grocery list: 4 tablespoons butter, 5 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 5 large), 1/4 cup flour, 3 1/2 cups milk, 2 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese, 4-5 ounces fresh goat cheese, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I used Frank’s Red Hot), 2 eggs, 1 pound dried pasta (penne, or other small tube shape to hold onto the cheese and leeks).

Wash and chop the leeks (for some tips, see my tutorial!). Grate 2 cups of cheddar.

Cook pasta according to package directions (or just 1-2 minutes less than recommended, since it will continue to cook in the oven).

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large dutch oven.

Add the leeks and cook, covered, for about 12 minutes, until soft.

Uncover the pot, and add the flour.

Stir and cook for 2 minutes.

Next, add the milk and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.

Add the mustard and the hot pepper sauce (and the goat cheese and the cheddar - I just skipped these pictures since this post is getting long).

Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat once all the cheese has melted.

Now here’s the trick that makes this dish special. Scoop out a cup of the cheese sauce in a large (4 cup) measuring cup. Whisk eggs the eggs in a separate bowl.

Then, SLOWLY whisk the eggs into the cup of cheese sauce. If you skipped this step and just dumped the eggs into the pot, the eggs would cook too quickly and your cheese sauce would be runny and separated.

Slowly stir the egg-cheese mixture back into the pot of cheese sauce.

Stir the cooked and drained pasta into the cheese sauce.

Pour the pasta into a large baking dish.

Sprinkle the handful of remaining cheddar cheese over top.

Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees, until the top is starting to brown and the sauce is bubbly.