Macaroni N Appenzeller Cheese With Creme Fraiche Recipes

MACARONI 'N' APPENZELLER CHEESE WITH CREME FRAICHE

Steps:

• Cook the elbow macaroni in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside. *Important*: Reserve 1 cup of the pasta liquid.
• Return the hot, cooked pasta to the pot. Toss with the garlic, shallot, shredded cheese, creme fraiche, nutmeg, salt, pepper and butter. Heat should be on low but no higher to avoid burning the cheese.
• Ladle in approximately 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, tossing ingredients gently.
• If the cheese does not melt right away, increase heat to medium for a few moments. The cooking liquid will help create a light, saucy coating of cheese for the pasta. Most importantly, be extra careful not to burn the ingredients!
• If the pasta seems dry, ladle in a bit more liquid, only 1/4 cup at a time, until the macaroni is creamy but not watery.
• Transfer to pasta platter and serve hot.
• Garnish with fresh minced parsley if desired.

HOME STYLE MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• In a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in flour. Cook for about 1 minute, until smooth and bubbly; stirring occasionally. Mix in milk, cream cheese, salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard. Continue cooking until sauce is thickened. Add cooked macaroni and Cheddar cheese.
• Pour into 2 quart casserole dish. In small bowl mix together bread crumbs, butter and parsley; spread over macaroni and cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.

CREAM-CHEESY MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Spray a 9x13" glass casserole dish with cooking spray.
• Set aside.
• Cook the pasta according to package directions, in a large pot.
• Drain, rinse, and return to the large pot.
• Set aside.
• In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
• Add the flour, and cook until bubbly (about a minute).
• Add the milk slowly, stirring after each addition and cook until slightly thickened.
• Add the cream cheese, again stirring until completely melted.
• Season with salt.
• Remove from heat.
• Carefully pour the cream cheese mixture over the pasta, stirring gently to combine.
• Add the shredded cheddar cheese, stirring to combine.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish, top with bread crumbs if desired, and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

CREAMY BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Set an oven rack 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until it is al dente, about 6 minutes. Strain, reserving 1 3/4 cups of the pasta water. Set aside.
• Heat the half-and-half and cayenne in a large saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a simmer. Continue simmering until the half-and-half is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Whisk in the Cheddar and Gruyere until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Add the macaroni and the reserved pasta water to the saucepan and stir to combine. (It will look very loose, but the pasta will suck up a lot of the sauce as it bakes.) Season to taste with salt if needed. Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Toss the bread crumbs with the butter and a sprinkle of salt in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are lightly browned and crispy, about 10 minutes.