Baked Mac & Cheese

preparation

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C.

2. In a saucepan melt butter (20 g) and add the breadcrumbs. Toast at medium heat until the breadcrumbs are golden. Once the breadcrumbs are done, remove from the saucepan and pour the breadcrumbs on a paper towel to drain the butter.

3. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente.

4. Melt the remaining butter (35 g) in a saucepan, add flour and stir until you get a paste.

5. Slowly add the white wine and then milk while stirring. Continue to stir until you get a nice smooth sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil for 3-4 minutes.

6. Turn the heat to medium and add grated Castello® Creamy Havarti. Stir until the cheddar has melted but make sure it is slightly wet as it will thicken up again in the oven.

7. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.

8. Drain the pasta, add it to the cheese sauce and pour into a casserole or baking dish.

9. Sprinkle with the toasted breadcrumbs and bake for 20-25 minutes at 180° C.

The story behind the dish

The original mac & cheese recipe may actually be a lot older than you think and has been traced all the way back to medieval Italy, where the dish was prepared by serving boiled hand-cut pastry beneath a mix of grated cheese and butter. While the recipe has changed a good deal since then, the main components have remained the same. This early rendition first appeared in the 14th century in an uncredited recipe book, and was later reimagined, in the following 18th and 19th centuries, as the recipe we know and love today, meaning no one ever laid claim to having invented it. Since then, popularity rapidly spread, making mac & cheese a staple menu item in many renowned restaurants around the world. Even American president Thomas Jefferson is said to have enjoyed it so much, during his visits to Paris and Italy, that he ordered a pasta machine upon returning to America. Today, mac & cheese is considered a timeless classic, and remains universally loved in whatever iteration it presents itself in.