Recipe: Triple-Smoky Macaroni and Cheese with Homemade Bread Crumbs (make ahead)

TRIPLE-SMOKY MAC AND CHEESE
"This grown-up macaroni and cheese was inspired by an incredible oak-smoked cheddar that I found at Seattle's historic Pike Place Market. I reinforce that flavor with smoked paprika and some chipotle in adobo. If you can't get a smoked cheddar, use regular cheddar and substitute smoked mozzarella."



Diet type: Vegan

1 pound elbow macaroni, uncooked
6 tablespoons (3⁄4 stick) unsalted butter, divided use
1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
Half an onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced (or 1⁄4 cup Frontera brand chipotle salsa)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)
8 ounces smoked cheddar, grated (or substitute regular cheddar if you can't find smoked cheddar)
8 ounces mozzarella (substitute smoked mozzarella if you're using regular cheddar), grated
Kosher salt
1 1⁄2 cups Homemade Bread Crumbs made with 2 cloves minced garlic added (recipe follows)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the macaroni according to package directions, draining when it is just becoming al dente. This will bake more in the oven, so don't overcook it. Drain, transfer it to a bowl, and toss with 2 tablespoons of the butter.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk pretty constantly for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Add the onion, smoked paprika, rosemary, chipotle, oregano, and nutmeg. Bring to a gentle simmer and keep cooking, whisking occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low. Whisk in the grated cheeses, a handful at a time, stirring each addition of cheese until melted. It is important to do this gradually, to avoid graininess. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your preference. It will probably need just a little salt, depending on the cheeses. Add more chipotle if you'd like it hotter. Remember that the sauce should be pretty intense, because it needs to flavor a full pound of pasta.

Stir the macaroni into the sauce. Pour the macaroni into the baking dish. Scatter the bread crumbs evenly over the top.

Bake until you can see bubbling around the sides and the bread crumbs are nicely browned, about 30 minutes. Let the dish rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

TO MAKE AHEAD:
You can prepare this macaroni and cheese ahead (without baking) and refrigerate it, which makes it very convenient for dinner parties. Just wait until the last minute to add the bread crumbs, and allow additional baking time.

HOMEMADE BREAD CRUMBS
Makes 2 cups

"Homemade bread crumbs are a completely different ballgame from the canned grocery-store stuff. It is a very easy thing to grate dried-out bread in the food processor and then toast the crumbs with a little olive oil in a skillet. You'll be rewarded with tasty, crunchy goodness that can top a gratin, add body to a filling, or bread a fritter."

6 thick slices of stale bread*
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt

Grate the bread in a food processor, using the grating blade. Empty the crumbs from the bowl and replace the grating blade with the regular steel blade. Put the crumbs back in the processor bowl and process until the crumbs reach the desired texture. (I like mine fairly coarse for general use but rather fine for breading.)

Heat the oil in your largest skillet over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, add the bread crumbs and salt. Toast, stirring frequently, until the crumbs are well browned and crispy, about 10 minutes.

Set aside to cool and use as needed. Store what you are not using immediately in a zipper-top plastic bag in the freezer. Bread crumbs keep very well in the freezer. Just give them a quick re-toast in a skillet or toaster oven to revive their crunch.

*In a pinch, if you don't have any stale bread, you can make these with bread that is still soft. Just slice the bread, toast it, and let it sit for 15 minutes or so to dry out so that it can be grated.

VARIATIONS:
This recipe is for a basic, all-purpose bread crumb. You can add crushed garlic or hearty herbs such as rosemary or sage to the olive oil for variety."

Makes 6-8 servings as a main course
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Harvard Commons Press
Source: Herbivoracious by Michael Natkin