Caprese Mac and Cheese

Ya know. I think I let the holidays sneak up on me this year.

Usually, I’m planning for Thanksgiving dinner WEEKS in advance. Oodles of recipe planning, shopping lists, trips to different grocery stores and prepping happens to plan for the big event. And it really gets me revved up for the holiday.

But this year, with no big meal to plan I got snowballed by the holidays. I managed to make it through Thanksgiving with out great incident, but Lindsey B, Wes and I are throwing a Christmas gift exchange for my high school girlfriends and their dudes on the fourteenth and I’ve done NOTHING. Whoops.

This morning while checking my email, I realized I was just twelve days away from party time and just twenty-three away from C day! I gotta get my booty in gear.

The good news, is I have extensive menu options to choose from for the party.

With the red and green, this may be a serious contender.

You will need…

1 lb dried pasta shells

1 tablespoons olive oil

½ onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

3 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

½ cup burrata cheese

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup basil, roughly chopped

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

½ cup balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by turning on your broiler.

Then bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to the package instructions, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

While you are waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, heat the olive oil in a large pot and add in the onions.

Cook the onions until softened. About 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Add in the butter and flour and stir to make a roux.

Whisk in the milk and cook on slow, stirring often until the milk has thickened enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.

Remove it from the heat and whisk in the cheeses a bit at a time and season well with salt and pepper.

By now the pasta should be cooked. Toss the pasta in with the cheese sauce and stir well until the pasta is coated.

If the sauce isn’t creamy enough, pour in a little bit of the reserved pasta water.

Toss in the basil and tomato and season well with salt and pepper.

Pour the pasta into an oven safe dish, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and pop it in the broiler until it is golden on top. About 4 to 5 minutes.

While the pasta is in the oven, pour the vinegar in a small saucepan and simmer on medium high heat until it is slightly reduced.

When the pasta is browned, remove from the oven and drizzle with the reduced vinegar and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Caprese Mac and Cheese

1 lb dried pasta shells

1 tablespoons olive oil

½ onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

3 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

½ cup burrata cheese

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup basil, roughly chopped

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

½ cup balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by turning on your broiler.

Then bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to the package instructions, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

While you are waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, heat the olive oil in a large pot and add in the onions.

Cook the onions until softened. About 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Add in the butter and flour and stir to make a roux.

Whisk in the milk and cook on slow, stirring often until the milk has thickened enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.

Remove it from the heat and whisk in the cheeses a bit at a time and season well with salt and pepper.

By now the pasta should be cooked. Toss the pasta in with the cheese sauce and stir well until the pasta is coated.

If the sauce isn’t creamy enough, pour in a little bit of the reserved pasta water.

Toss in the basil and tomato and season well with salt and pepper.

Pour the pasta into an oven safe dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and pop it in the broiler until it is golden on top. About 4 to 5 minutes.

While the pasta is in the oven, pour the vinegar in a small saucepan and simmer on medium high heat until it is slightly reduced.

When the pasta is browned, remove from the oven and drizzle with the reduced vinegar and serve hot.