And this is no blue box dinner! Jessie-Sierra Ross, who wrote the new cookbook, Seasons Around the Table, came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her take on Macaroni and Cheese, please! She says there's no processed cheese sauce, here, just good old fashioned gruyere and orange cheddar. It's creamy, it's decadent and it's delicious. See, Mac and Cheese just isn't for the kids! At least if you do it the right way!
serves 6-8
2 cups of large shell pasta
6 ounces of orange cheddar cheese, shredded
4 ounces of gruyere cheese,
2 ounces aged parmesan, finely shredded
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup unsweetened corn flakes
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch ground cayenne pepper
generous pinch kosher salt
While the pasta water is heating, place a medium sized pot with two inches of water to boil over high heat. Wash and trim the cauliflower into small florets.
Once the medium pot of water has come to a boil, drop the cauliflower in and cook until tender (not mushy!), about 8-10 minutes. Drain and put aside.
Shred your cheeses and reserve.
In a large dutch oven or saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter on medium high heat, until frothy. Add the flour and stir with a whisk or wooden spoon constantly.
Cook until the paste turns an almost nut-brown. This is your roux. (if you don’t get the right color, the flour will taste uncooked!)