vidalia’s macaroni and cheese
The list included things like home made pasta since I knew there would be little time for such schemes once I was settling a fussy dough ball, err kid, and of course had rum ice cream and even my dreaded fear of lobster murder attached but the realization soon came that I would actually have to feed this growing womb tenant once it decided to pack its bags and move out and I would need essential, quick, kid-friendly recipes that I could shove from stove top to plate to table in 15 minutes or less.
As you can tell, I haven’t gotten around to getting much on this list accomplished as there has been no home made pasta or rum ice cream. There have been cheesy baked pasta auditions, this version being really more for me (ahem, a grown up) than a kid, though I don’t know a kid that would turn it away. It is full of creamy goat cheese in a thick bechemel and frankly does not live up to the quick 15 minute test I had planned but, really people, at this point I don’t care. We are the red spoon, and we have standards!
Regardless, we’ve got four weeks left and I’m proud to say I can officially join the ranks of mom as I vow to be the stereotype and place a bowl of pasta in front of my (I’m assuming) grabby kid for lunch as this stuff is full of cheese, carbs and protein: the makings of a happy kid thus happy mom.
One Year Ago: Red Bean Chili + Corn Bread
Vidalia’s Macaroni and Cheese
Adapted from The Washingtonian
Serves 8
Notes: Due to my love of streamlining things that become tedious I omitted the cheese cloth sachet of herbs and instead tied them into a bundle and dunked them in there with the rest of the gang. Though it imparted more flavor, some of the rosemary did fall off and float around in the bechemel — this did not bother us, but if it bothers you, just wrap your herbs in some cheesecloth, tie it with some kitchen twine and use it just as you would with the herb bundle.
Bechamel Sauce:
4 tablespoons sweet, unsalted butter
1 cup small-diced sweet onions
3 tablespoons slivered garlic
1 bay leaf
5 sprigs thyme
2 sprig rosemary
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 quart heavy cream
1 pint half and half
2 teaspoons mustard powder
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups grated goat cheddar (you can also substitute any sharp white cheddar)
1 cup goat-cheese crumbles
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Make bechamel sauce: Using a heavy-bottom sauce pot set over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and garlic, and sweat until translucent. Using a piece of cooking twin tie thyme and rosemary together. Add tied herbs and bay leaf to the onion mixture, add the flour over the mixture, and cook while stirring for approximately 1 – 2 minutes (don’t let the flour burn!). Add the cream and half and half, and simmer for 20 minutes or until thick. The bechamel should not boil and should be stirred frequently throughout the process.
Remove the herb bundle and bay leaf from the pot, and let the bechamel cool for 10 minutes. Add Season with salt, pepper, mustard powder, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Stir until well combined.
For the macaroni:
1 pound elbow macaroni or miniature shells, fresh or boxed
1 cup crushed butter crackers
1 1/2 cups small-diced smoked country ham
1 cup grated cave-aged gruyere
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Set up a pot of boiling, salted water and cook the pasta until it’s al dente. Strain and set aside.
In a large bowl combine the bechamel sauce, ham, and gruyere. Thoroughly mix in the pasta. Pour the mixture into a baking dish and top with crushed crackers. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove and serve.
Conversions & Equivalents
Volume | Baking | Metric | Pan Size | Temperature | Oven | Other
1/2 teaspoon
=
30 drops
1 teaspoon
=
1/3 tablespoon OR 60 drops
3 teaspoon
=
1 tablespoon or 1/2 fluid ounce
1/2 tablespoon
=
1 1/2 teaspoons
1 tablespoon
=
3 teaspoons or 1/2 fluid ounce
2 tablespoons
=
1/8 cup or 1 fluid ounce
3 tablespoons
=
1 1/2 fluid ounces
4 tablespoons
=
1 1/4 cup or 2 fluid ounces
5 1/3 tablespoons
=
1/3 cup or 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
8 tablespoons
=
1/2 cup or 4 fluid ounces
10 2/3 tablespoons
=
2/3 cup or 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
12 tablespoons
=
3/4 cup or 6 fluid ounces
16 tablespoons
=
1 cup or 8 fluid ounces or 1/2 pint
1/8 cup
=
2 tablespoons or 1 fluid ounce
1/4 cup
=
4 tablespoons or 2 fluid ounces
1/3 cup
=
5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
3/8 cup
=
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup
=
8 tablespoons or 4 fluid ounces
2/3 cup
=
10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
5/8 cup
=
1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons
3/4 cup
=
12 tablespoons or 6 fluid ounces
7/8 cup
=
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
1 cup
=
16 tablespoons or 1/2 pint or 8 fluid ounces
2 cups
=
1 pint or 16 fluid ounces
1 pint
=
2 cups or 16 fluid ounces
1 quart
=
2 pints or 4 cups or 32 fluid ounces
1 gallon
=
4 quarts or 8 pints or 16 cups or 128 fluid ounces
FLOUR
1 cup all-purpose flour
=
5 ounces or 142 grams
1 cup cake flour
=
4 ounces or 113 grams
1 cup whole wheat flour
=
5 1/2 ounces or 156 grams
SUGAR
1 cup granulated white sugar
=
7 ounces or 198 grams
1 cup packed brown sugar
=
7 ounces or 198 grams
1 cup confectioners sugar
=
4 ounces or 113 grams
COCOA POWDER
1 cup cocoa powder
=
3 ounces or 85 grams
BUTTER
4 tablespoons
=
1/2 stick or 1/4 cup or 2 ounces
8 tablespoons
=
1 stick or 1/2 cup or 4 ounces
16 tablespoons
=
2 sticks or 1 cup or 8 ounces
32 tablespoons
=
4 sticks or 2 cups or 1 pound
1/4 teaspoon
=
1.23 milliliters
1/2 teaspoon
=
2.46 milliliters
3/4 teaspoon
=
3.7 milliliters
1 teaspoon
=
4.93 milliliters
1 1/4 teaspoon
=
6.16 milliliters
1 1/2 teaspoon
=
7.39 milliliters
1 3/4 teaspoon
=
8.63 milliliters
2 teaspoon
=
9.86 milliliters
1 tablespoon
=
14.79 milliliters
2 tablespoons
=
29.57 milliliters
1/4 cup
=
59.15 milliliters
1/2 cup
=
118.3 milliliters
1 cup
=
236.59 milliliters
2 cups or 1 pint
=
473.18 milliliters
3 cups
=
709.77 milliliters
4 cups or 1 quart
=
946.36 milliliters
1/4 teaspoon
=
1.23 milliliters
4 quarts or 1 gallon
=
3.785 liters
PAN SIZE
VOLUME
CAN SUBSTITUTE WITH
1 8-inch round cake pan
4 cups
1 8x4-inch loaf pan
1 9-inch round cake pan
1 9-inch pie plate
2 8-inch round cake pans
8 cups
2 8x4-inch loaf pans
1 9-inch tube pan
2 9-inch round cake pans
1 10-inch bundt pan
1 11x7-inch baking dish
1 10-inch springform pan
1 9-inch round cake pan
6 cups
1 8-inch round cake pan
1 8x4-inch loaf pan
1 11x7-inch baking dish
2 9-inch round cake pans
12 cups
2 8x4-inch loaf pans
1 9-inch tube pan
2 8-inch round cake pans
1 10-inch bundt pan
2 11x7-inch baking dish
1 10-inch springform pan
1 10-inch round cake pan
11 cups
2 8-inch round cake pan
1 9-inch tube pan
1 10-inch springform pan
2 10-inch round cake pans
22 cups
5 8-inch round cake pans
3 or 4 9-inch round cake pans
2 10-inch spring form pan
9-inch tube pan
12 cups
2 8-inch round cake pans
2 9-inch round cake pans
1 10-inch bundt pan
10-inch tube pans
16 cups
3 9-inch round cake pans
2 10-inch pie plates
4 8-inch pie plates
2 9x5-inch loaf pans
2 8-inch square baking dishes
2 9-inch square baking dishes
10-inch bundt pan
12 cups
1 9x13-inch baking dish
2 9-inch round cake pans
1 9-inch tube pan
2 11x7-inch baking dishes
1 10-inch springform pan
11x7x2-inch baking dish
6 cups
1 8-inch square baking dish
1 9-inch square baking dish
1 9-inch round cake pan
9x13x2-inch baking dish
15 cups
1 10-inch bundt pan
2 9-inch round cake pans
3 8-inch round cake pans
1 10x15-inch jellyroll pan
10x15x1-inch jellyroll pan
15 cups
1 10-inch bundt pan
2 9-inch round cake pans
2 8-inch round cake pan
1 9x13-inch baking dish
9x5-inch loaf pan
8 cups
1 10-inch pie plate pan
1 8-inch square baking dish
1 9-inch square baking dish
8x4-inch loaf pan
6 cups
1 8-inch round cake pan
1 11x7-inch baking dish
9-inch springform pan
10 cups
1 10-inch round cake pan
1 10-inch spring form pan
2 8-inch round cake pans
2 9-inch round cake pans
10-inch springform pan
12 cups
2 8x4-inch loaf pan
1 9-inch tube pan
2 9-inch round cake pans
1 10-inch bundt pan
2 11x7-inch baking dishes
2 8-inch round cake pans
8-inch square baking dish
8 cups
1 9x5-inch loaf pan
2 8-inch pie plates
9-inch square baking dish
8 cups
1 11x7-inch baking dish
1 9x5-inch loaf pan
2 8-inch pie plate
Water Freezes
32°F
0°C
40°F
4.4°C
50°F
10°C
60°F
15.6°C
70°F
21.1°C
80°F
26.7°C
90°F
32.2°C
100°F
37.8°C
110°F
43.3°C
120°F
48.9°C
130°F
54.4°C
140°F
60°C
150°F
65.6°C
160°F
71.1°C
170°F
76.7°C
180°F
82.2°C
190°F
87.8°C
200°F
93.3°C
Water Boils
212°F
100°C
250°F
121°C
300°F
149°C
350°F
177°C
400°F
205°C
450°F
233°C
500°F
260°C
275°F
=
140°C or Gas Mark 1
300°F
=
150°C or Gas Mark 2
325°F
=
165°C or Gas Mark 3
350°F
=
180°C or Gas Mark 4
375°F
=
190°C or Gas Mark 5
400°F
=
200°C or Gas Mark 6
425°F
=
220°C or Gas Mark 7
450°F
=
230°C or Gas Mark 9
475°F
=
240°C or Gas Mark 10
And for conversions that are not listed I found a great conversion calculator here!
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The Good Kind of Comments:
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OHHHHHHH I need this in my life! Looks amazing!
Lovely lovely recipe. And rest assured, there is a life after kids! I have four of them and I work full time and I still manage (on rare occasion) to make homemade pasta! You can always make time for the things that are important to you. :)
Good luck to you in four weeks! I am sure you will pull it off greatly and gracefully and cook some awesome stuff for your kid (and for your hubby as well, I am sure you won’t forget him!) :)
That looks so so yummy. Come check out our pumpkin macaroni and cheese!
I’m new to this blog, but I just wanted to say congratulations!