I keep losing copies of this recipe so I figured I would blog it, plus it is too darn good not to share. It is well worth purchasing the mini muffin tins this dish requires as it very quickly registers as a crowd favorite...who doesn't love mac and cheese?
Anything big made small is ultrafun for cocktail parties, and these
quick, one-bite mac and cheeses are the ultimate example. The mini macs can be assembled early and baked just
as guests arrive.
Mini Macs
- 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for brushing
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup milk
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 packed cup)
- 4 ounces deli-sliced American cheese, chopped
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, shaking off the excess water.
- Brush four 12-cup, nonstick mini muffin tins with butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano; tap out the excess.
- In a large saucepan, melt the 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until boiling, about 5 minutes. Add the cheddar and American cheeses and whisk until melted. Off the heat, whisk in the egg yolk and paprika. Fold in the macaroni.
- Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of the macaroni into the prepared muffin cups, packing them gently. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano on top.
- Bake the mini macs in the upper and middle thirds of the oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling. Let cool for 5 minutes. Using a small spoon, carefully loosen the mini macs, transfer to a platter and serve.
MAKE AHEAD The recipe can be prepared through Step 4 and refrigerated overnight.
You bet your a$$ I'm making these on SuperBowl Sunday, woot, woot!
If this were my kid, I'd be so proud!
No really, it is...the Monte Carlo casino is currently on fire. It's ironic that I just watched Ocean's 13 the other night, so all I can picture is all the other hotel owners sitting in their 10,000 square foot marble offices watching the live coverage and cackling like evil villains.
After a long week of work (since I bitterly didn't have Monday off), I find this to be considerably amusing. I wonder if rappers even understand how to decipher a bar graph or pie chart. OK, ok, pie chart is a stretch...they love pie (in all fashions of the word).
I just love the image in my head of someone sitting in a cubicle pretending to work but actually creating that document. That makes me smile. Enjoy!
Normally, I don't pay much attention to celebrity news, but this is terribly shocking. I am a big Heath Ledger fan and feel that he belonged to the category of respectable actors who represent the positive side of Hollywood. It's a true shame when a special and accomplished life comes to a halt at age 28. 28!!! The fact that he has a young daughter who will grow up w/out her dad is the real travesty. Could his life really have been so dire that it had to end? So sad.
Life has been especially eventful over the past few weeks and since I like to document what goes on, I figured I'd take a minute to recap some events of past few weeks.
Football:
January is an exciting month in general, if you love football because it's playoff season. Two weekends ago I watched as my Seahawks got pummeled by the Green Bay Packers. Fortunately, my brother, aka my fellow die-hard cohort was with me to deal with the loss along with my very good friend, Rick. In hindsight, I wasn't that upset because I am such a huge Favre fan and I felt assured that they would continue on to meet the Patriots in Super Bowl 42. Unfortunately, the Giants pulled off an upset at Lambeau yesterday and now they will face (and get their hineys whooped..badly) New England. All I have to say is, the Super Bowl commercials better step it up this year to make up for the yawner of a game in store for all of us on February 3rd.
Health:
A group of friends and I decided that we would do a 7 day cleanse. I had never done one quiet like this and I must admit, it was incredibly hard. No carbs or sugar for 7 days was pure torture, not to mention the headaches from withdrawal that began on day three. I don't think I'll be able to eat eggs or plain yogurt again for a very long time! I will say though, now that I've completed my sentence my appetite is suppressed and I am not craving mini Milky Way darks (Midnights) every hour on the hour like I usually do. I wonder how long that will last.
Work:
MobiTV launched ESPN this month, which has been incredibly exciting. Needless to say, it has been busy! On a sad note, my good friend and teammate, Sharon left the organization to pursue other opportunities in life. She has only been gone a week and I already miss her like crazy. Her talent as a designer is beyond words which leaves giant shoes to fill.
Friends:
My good friend, Erin, is officially leaving the US to be with her man in Madrid in mid-April (Happy Birthday to me, right?), so I'm filling her schedule with lots of quality time. It could be worse...I have a gorgeous place to stay and friends to explore Europe with now. This is my attempt at optimism.
A good friend and colleague, Jacquie, got engaged to her match (w/out question) over the holidays. I have never seen her happier and am excited to see her settle into this new phase of life! If anyone can plan a wedding in 6 months (which she's doing), it's her!
Family:
A few weeks ago, we got the sad news that one of our family dogs passed. He wasn't the friendliest or cutest of pooches but he was a part of the family, and therefore the news was hard to take.
I'm sure I'm leaving out other key mentions, so more to come...
The weekend was a doozy...very action packed with all the NFL Playoff games (that is a post in and of itself), a visit from my good friend, Rick, Lionel returning from a grueling 6 day trip all over the place interviewing for residency, and more. Fortunately, the weekend was topped with an incredible show!
Kooza is yet another fabulous Cirque du Soleil production that is playing in San Francisco right now. I have always wanted to see Cirque du Soleil and now that I finally have, it did not disappoint. In fact, this show was exuberant, entertaining, and memorizing. The only thing I have to compare it to is Teatro Zinzanni, but it is still in a class all its own. And to my delight, there was only one clown and he was a minor part of the show...clowns are scary!
If you get a chance to check this show out, GO. It's great for kids and adults.
Shout out to Metz- thanks for the wonderful time and the thoughtful Christmas gift.
I am an instant fan...hilarious
Roasted chicken is one of those dishes that i adore making during the winter months. I search online and in cooking magazines for great roast chicken magazines often and recently found this one on Food Network from Barefoot Contessa which i modified slightly (omitting the bacon):
Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken
1 (5 to 6-pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme
4 lemons
3 heads garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove
any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place
the chicken in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the
inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, reserving
enough thyme to garnish the chicken dish, 1 lemon, halved, and 2 halves
of the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and
sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen
string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Cut 2 of
the lemons in quarters and scatter the quarters and remaining garlic
around the chicken.
Roast the chicken for 1 hour (basting often). You may need to cover with foil if the skin browns quickly. Continue roasting the chicken for an
additional 1/2 hour, or until the juices run clear when you cut between
a leg and thigh.
This chicken came out so moist and tender it literally fell apart (in a good way). Although it was mostly polished off, there was still enough meat to make one or two sandwiches the next day...delic!
What are you saving up for?
Submitted by Star.
A trip to Madrid to visit my very dear friend Erin, who will be moving there in a few months.
