This is one from the archives.  Seriously.  How could I neglect a fantastic mac and cheese recipe that can easily be made on a weeknight AND adapted in just about a million different ways? I’m hanging my head in comfort-food shame.

I was in this amazing kitchen store in the downtown Hanover area, and I happened to stumble upon a great cookbook…all about macaroni and cheese.  Feeling a little indulgent, I went ahead and treated myself to a copy (since I was salivating over pretty much every recipe in the whole book)….and….went ahead and stopped on the way home from the store to buy the ingredients from one of the first recipes in the book.

As I said, this mac and cheese comes together in a snap (making the pasta itself is the longest part).  The crème fraîche adds a lot of creaminess to the dish (look for it in the specialty cheese section or in the dairy aisle of your specialty grocery store…if you can’t find it, some people suggest using Greek yogurt as a substitute.  I never have used this myself.)  I ended up using Emmenthal cheese (think Swiss cheese-like), but you could use anything you want: Gruyère, Comté, or Appenzeller.  Add some spices or fresh herbs in there to make it your way.  I have already posted another mac and cheese version, but, really, can you have too many?

Ah, there’s nothing like the ultimate in comfort food, is there?

Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

Servings: 4

Ingredients

12 ounces macaroni (whatever shape you like)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup yellow onion, minced

12 ounces Emmenthal cheese, shredded

4 ounces crème fraîche

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt and pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta as directed until it is al dente, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

2. Return the pasta to the saucepan immediately.

3. Add the garlic, onion, and cheese to the top and mix lightly to coat.

4. Add the crème fraîche, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and butter, stirring well.

5. Add 1/4 cup of the hot cooking liquid to the mixture and stir until the cheese is thoroughly melted, adding more hot water if needed.

6. Stir the mixture until smooth and creamy.  Serve immediately.

Source: Barely adapted from Macaroni and Cheese by Marlena Spieler.

I’m relatively new to the blogging world.  New to who’s who in the blogging world, the traditions, the etiquette, and the community. At first, I was incredibly intimidated by the other bloggers out there-there’s so much talent, so much experience, and so much genuine love, and I was hoping I could keep up with it all.

But, there have been a few bloggers who have welcomed me whole-heartedly into this part of the world, and Josie, from Pink Parsley, has always been one of them.  I’ve grown to love Josie’s blog, seeing her fantastic rendition of many Southern classics, her classic and inviting photography, but, best of all, feeling like I know her when I have never met her in person.  Josie has an incredible love for her family, and it shows in the posts she writes and shares about being a mother and celebrating the lives of her daughter, Caroline, and her husband.  I was so happy when Josie announced that another bundle of joy was going to be soon joining her life…and this time, it would be a little boy.  You can feel her joy emanating from the words she writes about it.

When Annie, the hostess, asked me to be part of Josie’s virtual baby shower I was honored, because to me, Josie epitomizes what it means to be a “good” food blogger.  Love for food, love for authenticity, love for capturing the “emotion” of the food, and love for being herself by telling her life story through her recipes.  Josie has been a rock of support for many food bloggers out there-she’s been a great blogging friend.

As part of the “shower”, we were asked to contribute a dish that we would love to have at an actual shower (and, even though we are not all in person, we are still all celebrating for Josie!).  I wanted to put a little bit of a Southern swing to my contribution in honor of Josie, and, for some reason, Southern food (to me) equates with the ultimate comfort food.  Which basically equals macaroni and cheese.  But I wanted it in a portable, shower-friendly food…and I tried to up the flavor and creaminess factor by adding in some Boursin cheese along with the classic white cheddar.  And, to add a little bit more to the cheesiness (no pun intended), I topped it with a little parsley, also in honor of Pink Parsley. This recipe makes about 8 muffin-sized pies, but I was thinking that you could convert it to a mini muffin pan and decrease the baking time for a true finger food/larger get-together.  I thought these turned out incredibly well-the Ritz cracker crust was heavenly, and the addition of the Boursin cheese definitely made these little pies extra creamy.

While we are not all there with you physically, Josie, know that we love you and cannot wait to meet the little man!

For a round-up of other drool-worthy contributions (by amazing and supportive bloggers) to Josie’s virtual shower, please check out Josie’s and Annie’s (our lovely hostess with the mostest!) websites:

Pink Parsley Catering

Annie’s Eats

Mini Mac and Cheese Pies

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups Ritz crackers, crushed**I used one whole sleeve and used my food processor to crush the crackers

2 cups white cheddar cheese, grated and divided

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 and 1/2 cups cooked elbow macaroni (about 8 ounces uncooked)

One 5.2-ounce container of Boursin Garlic and Herb cheese

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

2 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch red pepper flakes

Parsley, for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Generously spray 8 cups of your muffin pan with cooking spray.

3. In a large bowl, combine the crushed Ritz crackers, 1 cup of the shredded white cheddar cheese, and the melted butter, mixing well until the mixture holds together and resembles coarse sand.

4. Divide the mixture among the 8 muffin cups and, using your fingers or the back of a spoon, firmly press the crust into the bottoms and up the sides of each muffin cup.

5. In another large bowl, combine the cooked (and still hot!) macaroni with 1/2 cup of the shredded white cheddar, the Boursin cheese, and the butter, mixing well.

6. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, milk, sour cream, salt, and red pepper flakes, mixing well.

7. Add the egg/milk mixture to the cooked macaroni, mixing until all the ingredients are melted and smooth.

8. Place about 2-3 tablespoons of the macaroni mixture into each muffin cup (you will probably have a little leftover macaroni-I did.  Save this and bake it separately, if desired.)

9. Top each muffin cup with the remaining white cheddar.

10. Bake the mac and cheese pies until lightly golden on top, about 20-25 minutes.

11. Let cool slightly before removing from the muffin pan, garnish with parsley, and serve immediately.

Source: Adapted from The Deen Bros. Take it Easy, via Epicurious.

I have a new fondness for whole wheat pasta.  It’s filling, has great flavor, and it’s a healthier alternative to the white stuff.  I try to avoid pasta in general…usually because of the inevitable energy crash that swiftly follows my meal (probably due to the incredible glycemic index of all those carbohydrates…)  So pasta, for me, is a rare treat.  But it’s also one of those things in life that has endless experimental and gustatory possibilities.  You can pretty much pair any kind of food with pasta and it will turn out great.

I came across this recipe and was sold…hands down.  I knew that mascarpone would add a creaminess to the pasta sauce…and who could resist it in combination with a tomato and basil sauce that could be made in a half hour?  This could be a great weeknight meal because you can make the sauce and prepare the pasta at the same time.  I only made enough for two large portions here, so feel free to double this if you are looking to feed a group of four.  The end result?  A super creamy tomato sauce with bits of tomato and fresh basil.  The whole wheat pasta adds a little nuttiness to the dish, but you could always use regular spaghetti (or any other kind of pasta) here.  I can’t wait to try this with fresh pasta.  I’m also adding this to my repertoire of go-to weeknight meals.

Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta

Servings: 2 large portions

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large shallot, chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes (don’t drain the juices…they will go into the sauce, too!)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

3 ounces mascarpone cheese

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti

Parmesan cheese, for serving

Fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering.

2. Add the chopped shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is softened, about 3-4 minutes.

3. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.

4. Add the diced tomato (and the juice!) to the pan, stirring thoroughly.

5. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the pasta, according to package directions.

7. Once the sauce has thickened, add the mascarpone cheese, red pepper, garlic salt, and dried oregano, mixing thoroughly.

8. Once the pasta is completely cooked, drain it, making sure to reserve about 1/3 cup of the pasta water.

9.  Add the pasta and the reserved pasta water to the sauce, and toss gently to combine.

10. Serve immediately, and garnish as desired with fresh Parmesan cheese and basil.

Source:  Adapted from Kayotic Kitchen.  Check out the link for a great garlic bread recipe, too!