cheese & mac & cheese this is insanely decadent. my zuska loves this mac n' cheese that they serve at our local pub and i've long thought i could take it on. after consulting a couple of recipes for general proportions, i concocted what has to be the most insanely rich macaroni and cheese i've ever made. if you try this i'd love to hear your thoughts.

warning: not for the diet conscious! you can substitute low fat dairy items if you want to, but i'm not going to vouch for the end result!

orecchiette with carmelized onions and many cheeses

• 3 medium or 2 large sweet onions, roughly chopped into 1/4 in pieces
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound of uncooked orecchiette (little saucer pasta) or any pasta that makes sense to you
• 8 oz. container of sour cream
• 1.5 cups of half & half
• 4 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 oz. grated monterey jack cheese
• 4 oz. soft goat cheese
• 2 oz. crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1/4 tablespoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 -4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.
in a large skillet on medium-low heat cook the onions in the melted butter, stirring occasionally. it will take 15 to 20 minutes for them to carmelize while you work on the cheese sauce. if they are ready before it's time to compile just set them aside off heat.
boil the pasta according to the instructions on the package. personally, i like to overcook them just a bit for this recipe.
when the pasta is cooked, strain, return to the pan, add the sour cream and carmelized onions and mix. set aside until ready for cheese sauce.
put the half & half in a saucepan and heat on medium heat until it starts to bubble a bit.
using a whisk, stir in the cheeses (except the parm), mustard, nutmeg and pepper until well blended.
pour cheese sauce into the pasta and give a good mix. add salt and pepper to taste.
now pour the mac and cheese into a casserole dish (we actually used a 9" square cake pan) and top with parmesan cheese.
pop it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until top has browned and cheese starts bubbling out the sides.
let it cool a few moments so you don't burn yourself. around our house it's called "i can't stand it any longer, it smells so good! let's eat!"

additions:
cubed ham, asparagus tips, green peas and anything else you might serve with a cheese sauce can be blended in. pearl onions could be substituted for the carmelized onions, but why?

goes great with beer, especially a bavarian allagash tripel.
works fine with a crisp red wine.
broccoli would go great with that.
feed four hungry adults.
kid tested and approved (except for the onions).
don't expect leftovers.  ¶ Tuesday, October 10, 2006