Work, Work, Work

Ok, so if you read my last post you know that I am back at work after several months of working primarily from home, traveling, or being off work completely (ah, the good life). I often hear people say that they are so bored staying home, they could never not have a job, etc etc. I am not going to lie to you - I have no idea what these people are talking about. I have so many hobbies, interests, and passions that have nothing to do with working, I feel like I could never work another day in my life and not ever be bored. But alas, I haven't won the lottery (yet), so I can't afford to be jobless. Maybe once I pay off those student loans . . .

But back to reality - I am neither independently wealthy nor out of debt, so I must work. Today marks the end of my first week at my new job, and I have to say, the job has been so far so good (knock on wood so that I don't completely jinx myself). My co-workers have been welcoming and helpful, I am working on something unrelated enough to my thesis that I am not bored but related enough to my strengths that I am not completely overwhelmed - all in all, a pretty good fit so far. But as you can probably imagine, there is one severe drawback to being back at work - the reduction of my precious free time by a minimum of 9 hours each day. And one of the first things to fall victim to my limited free time is cooking. Until I get into more of a groove, I am looking for simple, delicious meals that I can eat more than once a week (that's right folks, I said I would eat the same meal more than once in one week which, if you know me, is not at all my style).

Enter the casserole. It has been serving just this purpose for years and years now. It takes minimal prep time, you can throw ingredients together, you can make it as high or low class as you want, it doesn't have to be pretty or perfect, and then you can just throw the whole thing in the oven for 30 minutes and it will be hot and ready to eat. In essence, exactly what I am looking for these days. I chose mac and cheese because it's a great, classic comfort food, and it's super easy to make (even as far as casseroles go). There are tons of variations on a classic mac and cheese recipe, but what makes this one so delicious is the use of several different types of full-flavored cheeses. Thanks mac and cheese for saving the day for a tired cook once again!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

7 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
4 cups non fat milk
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 lb elbow macaroni
1 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar, 1 cup grated sharp cheddar, 1/2 cup grated emmentaler, 1/2 cup grated gruyere (12 ounces of cheese total)
1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese (4 ounces)
1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 3 quart casserole dish with non stick spray.

Melt 6 Tbsp butter over medium-low heat in a small saucepan. Add flour and whisk for 3 minutes to form a roux (basically a french term for "thickening agent" - you can use roux to thicken up gravies, sauces, soups, or stews). Pour milk into saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking often (this takes awhile, so be sure to whisk so that you do not to allow this to burn). Add mustard powder, cayenne, and add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until mixture thickens, whisking occasionally (2-3 minutes).

Meanwhile, cook the pasta and drain. Return to pasta pot and add sauce, and cheeses (saving 1/3 cup parm for topping), stirring to mix evenly:

Transfer to casserole dish. In a bowl, mix panko (pictured below) and 1/3 cup parm to form topping.

Sprinkle pasta in casserole dish evenly with panko/parm topping. Cut remaining 1 Tbsp of butter into small squares and distribute over topping, as pictured below:


Bake on middle oven rack for 30 minutes, until topping begins to brown. Serve and enjoy!