Serves: 6
I recently took some time off from my day job and I had the opportunity to discovered day time television. I fell in love with ABC's The Chew. I have adapted several of the recipes from the show to be Gluten Free. This recipe was inspired by Micheal Symon's Halloween Mac and Cheese. I have adapted the recipe to be Gluten free and included my own instructions. I found theirs very hard to follow if you do not watch the show.
 |
| Fall Mac and Cheese (without optional topping) |
Makes ~6 servings where each one (excluding topping) has approximately:
396 Calories, 41g Carbs, 19g Fat, 14g Protein
Fall Mac and Cheese
| 1 T | Salt |
| 8oz (227g) | Dry GF Pasta |
| 1/2 pound | Bacon |
| Small | Onion |
| 1 1/2 cup | Butternut Squash puree |
| 1 cup | Kale or Spinach |
| 1 clove | Garlic |
| 3 T | Half and Half |
| 1 1/2 cups | Milk |
| 1 1/2 T | Butter |
| 1 1/2 T | Cornstarch |
| 1/2 cup | Shredded Gruyere |
| 1/4 cup | Mascarpone Cheese |
| 1/2 t | Nutmeg |
| To Taste | Salt and Pepper |
| 1/4 t | Chipotle Powder (optional) |
| 1 cup | GF Bread Crumbs (optional) |
| 3 T | Shredded Gruyere (optional) |
| Garnish | Fresh parsley (optional) |
Squash Puree:
If you are not using squash from a can, a fresh squash is prepared in the same manner as mashed potatoes:
1. Peel, discard seeds, and dice the Squash into ~1 inch cubes.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add the Squash.
3. Simmer till tender (~5 minutes).
4. Drain and mash.
Directions:.
1. Cook pasta till tender and drain. (3 minutes less than the regular cooking time).
Tip: I start the pasta water when I start cooking the bacon (step #2) and add the pasta during step #8, so the pasta is ready about the same time it should be added to the rest of the ingredients. If the pasta is cooked too far in advance, many GF pastas will fuse into a solid mass before it can be added to the sauce.
2. Cut Bacon into 1" pieces and cook till crisp in a large saute pan. Drain the fat from the pan.
Tip: I partially cook the bacon in the microwave on paper towels, then finish cooking in it the pan. This reduces the amount of fat in the dish, but adds the flavor from the bacon drippings.
3. Add Butter, and sweat the Onion and Garlic with the Bacon, till the onion is translucent.
4.Reduce to medium heat and and add Milk.
5. Dissolve the Corn Starch in Half and Half and add to the mixture. The cornstarch must be mixed into the half and half before adding it to the mixture to prevent lumps.
6. Add squash puree, cook till the mixture thickens (4-5 minutes).
Tip: If you are using fresh Butternut Squash, you can save time by using left overs, or cooking the squash while you prep the ingredients for this recipe (ie chop the onion, grate the cheese, etc).
7. Add Kale or Spinach cook till wilted.
8. Gradually add Gruyere and stir constantly till melted.
9. Add Nutmeg and Chipotle.
10. Add Mascarpone and stir till melted. Then add salt and pepper.
11. Add Pasta.
Optional Topping:
11. Transfer to a oven safe dish, top with Bread Crumbs, and Gruyere Cheese.
12. Place under broiler till golden brown.
13. Garnish with Parsley before serving.
The topping provides a wonderful wow factor on the table if you are having company. If you use Ancient Grains pasta this recipe can be re-heated, but I do not recommend freezing.
Brand Recommendations:
Here are the Gluten Free Brands I use to make this recipe:
- Ancient Grains Penne
- Udi's Bread - I crumbled leftover bread slices for the topping
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