Mac and cheese is pure comfort food to me.
Mother Lovett made a creamy, delicious macaroni and cheese that I always tried to perfect. She used to tell me my version was “too dry” — admittedly, I never used six pounds of Velveeta.
One thing I have no restraint about when it comes to mac and cheese? Self-control.
So I decided to make a lighter version of the rich, heavy original.
This time I portioned it into small ramekins, hoping one serving would be enough. It helped. Sort of.
I never really liked pasta as a child, probably because it was often served with tomato sauce and I’ve never been a fan of that. Using fun-shaped pasta makes meals more enjoyable — here I used whole wheat fusilli.
I kept the traditional method for the cheese sauce, starting with a roux, but used mostly skim milk to lighten it up. And of course I didn’t skimp on cheese — four varieties went into this dish.
Gruyère. (Sigh.)
Smoked cheddar. (Adore.)
Parmesan. (Swoon.)
Brie. (Drool.)
Could there be a better combination? I didn’t think so.
After baking, I set the ramekins under the broiler briefly to brown the tops — I love brown, bubbly cheese. The contrast between the crispy, crunchy top and the creamy, melty cheese beneath is irresistible.
I love many things. But do you know what I don’t love? Mustaches. Mr. How Sweet is still sporting his, which I jokingly call the “crustache.”
Last night he cooked his own dinner — frozen fish filets. I’m mildly embarrassed we had them in the house, but he made them, then googled “how to cook stuff” in preparation for doing it again. Watching him cook is oddly entertaining. I admit I feel a little bad for teasing him until he tries to kiss me and I feel those crusty whiskers — then any remorse disappears.
Luckily for him, there was leftover mac and cheese from the weekend, so he happily gobbled that as a side.
Lightened-Up Four Cheese Mac and Cheese
4 cups whole wheat pasta, cooked
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup grated Gruyère cheese
1/2 cup grated smoked cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 oz Brie cheese
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Divide cooked pasta evenly among 4 ramekins.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour to form a roux. Gradually add the skim milk and heavy cream, stirring until warmed and smooth. Stir in the Gruyère and smoked cheddar until melted. If the sauce is too thin, whisk in the cornstarch dissolved in a little cold milk until it reaches the desired consistency. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan and 2 oz of Brie, then add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta in each ramekin. Top with the remaining Parmesan and the remaining Brie. Bake for 15–20 minutes, then broil for about 2 minutes to brown the tops — watch closely so they don’t burn.
Mac and cheese with fish filets might sound like a kid’s meal, but it made him happy — and gave me plenty of laughs. That is, unless he decides to shave his crustache away.