Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Whole Wheat Mac and Cheese with Swiss Chard
ingredients:
- 1 pound swiss chard (about 8 medium stalks), large ribs removed
- 8 ounces Delallo® Organic Whole Wheat Elbows
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 5 ounces mild white cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 cups grated)
- 2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (about 2/3 cup grated)
- 1 ounce Pecorino cheese, finely grated (about 1/2 cup grated)
- 2 ounces (4 slices) white American cheese, finely chopped
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
directions:
- Place an oven rack in the top half of the oven. Butter an 11-by-7-inch casserole dish (or equivalent). Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
- Trim chard leaves and discard any thick ribs. Add leaves to boiling water and blanch for 1 minute or until wilted and bright green in color. Transfer with tongs or a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice water to halt the cooking process.
- Return water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 5 minutes or until just barely al dente. Strain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, remove chard from ice water. Squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible. Coarsely chop, then spread out on a layer of paper towel and pat dry. You want to remove as much excess water from the chard as possible.
- Heat olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet or saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chopped chard and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until chard is coated and pan is dry. Transfer to a bowl, then wipe out skillet and return to medium heat.
- Add butter to skillet. When butter is melted and foamy, sprinkle over flour, whisking to incorporate into a smooth paste. Continue to whisk until frothy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly drizzle in milk, whisking vigorously. If at any point the mixture clumps, continue to whisk until smooth before adding more milk. Continue whisking until all the milk has been added. Cook, whisking regularly, for 7 to 8 minutes or until sauce has thickened to the consistency of heavy cream and just barely starts to simmer around the edges. Remove from heat.
- Slowly add cheddar, Gruyere, Pecornio, and American cheeses to milk mixture, one handful at a time, whisking well until incorporated. If the sauce still has noticeable chunks in it (the Pecorino is often slow to melt), return pan to low heat and continue whisking for no more than 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth.
- Fold macaroni into cheese sauce until evenly coated, followed by chard mixture.
- Pour into prepared dish. Sprinkle with goat cheese and bread crumbs and broil on high for 5 to 6 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and breadcrumbs are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
# posted by Chelsea @ 11:42 AM 
