Sunday 7 December 2014

Gramma's Calico Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
1 500g (18 oz.) bag/box of macaroni
454g (16 oz.) grated Galtee (Velveeta) processed cheese
530ml (18 oz.) full fat milk
112 g (4 oz. or 1 stick) of real butter – split into 2 roughly equal portions
¼ cup of flour
¼ of a green bell pepper – diced
¼ of a red bell pepper – diced
½ an onion – diced
3 heaped Tbsp. of diced pimento (In Ireland, you can find these in large jars in Polish shops or the Polish aisle of Tesco.  They come as whole roasted and pickled red peppers and you have to dice them yourself.)
Dash of salt
Dash of black pepper
Dash of nutmeg
Handful of grated medium or mild cheddar

This is a family recipe with a long history.  It was made by my grandmother and then by my mother and was requested on almost a weekly basis by at least one person in our family.  It was always something that was made for gatherings, potlucks, parties, etc.  Traditionally, ‘Calico Macaroni’ is a cold pasta salad, but this baked mac and cheese version is really special.  I’ve always loved my veggies, but the one veggie I hated as a kid was green bell peppers.  This dish however; was the only dish in which I could tolerate them and I not only tolerated them – I loved them in it!  Because it uses processed cheese (something I almost never cook with), it’s quite rich and creamy and could almost be too much, but that’s where the magic of the peppers and onions come in.  They lift it and give it that special sautéed veg flavour that cuts through the richness.  I’ve never had any other mac and cheese like it and it’s a taste that evokes so many childhood memories.  It’s certainly not for anyone on a low fat diet, as it uses real butter, whole milk and both processed and cheddar cheese.  We use it as a side dish to chicken or fish, but it tastes so good, it’s a challenge not to eat more and more of it!  It ends up being the star of the meal. It’s also perfect if you have a toddler or child that’s finicky about eating vegetables.  If they love mac and cheese, they’ll love this.  The diced peppers, onions and pimentos also give it a pretty festive look on the plate.  I used to always think of it as ‘Christmas Macaroni.’

Method:

Pre-cook your macaroni, drain, rinse and set aside.  If you are doing it hours in advance, you may want to toss it in just a teaspoon or so of olive oil or grapeseed oil to keep it from starching up and clumping.  Start by using half of your butter in a large saucepan to cook your diced onions and peppers.  Cook on a medium heat until they are fully softened.  Add a dash of salt and pepper (you can always add more when you taste the finished sauce) and then add the other half of the butter and melt.  When fully melted, add the ¼ cup of flour to the butter and diced veg mixture and whisk for a minute or so to cook out the flour taste and thicken to the beginning of a roux.  To this, add the milk and stir for a few minutes to thicken slightly.  Add all of the grated processed cheese and stir until smooth.  If you feel it is too thick, you can always add another splash of milk at this point and stir again.  When the sauce is smooth and well mixed, add the pinch of nutmeg and the diced pimento and stir again.  Taste at this point to see if it needs any more salt or pepper.  Processed cheese is already quite salty, so it really doesn’t need more than a tiny dash.  Pour the sauce over your cooked macaroni in a large casserole dish and stir around until well coated.  Top with a small handful of grated mild or medium cheddar and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes on 180C (350 F).  If you find that the top is getting browner than you like, you can cover it with foil about 10 minutes before the end of cooking time.


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