I've made a lot of different macs & cheeses over the years. This one was particularly nice. Probably not my all-time favourite, but it was quite good. I liked it a lot. And so did the Kidlet.

Truffled Mac & Cheese

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 450g maccaroni or similar short pasta
• 2 tsp. truffle oil¹
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1/4 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon or Roman mustard
• 2 1/2 c. milk
• 1/2 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 180g gruyère, grated
• 180g Cheddar, grated
• 2 Tbsp. minced chives²
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add the pasta and cook until molto al dente (~2 minutes less than you would normally cook it).
3. Drain and toss with the truffle oil. Set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and grease a 23x33cm (9x13") baking dish.
5. Return the empty pot to medium heat and melt the butter.
6. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until a light roux forms (~3 minutes).
7. Stir in the paprika and mustard.
8. Add the milk and cream and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes smooth and thickens slightly (~5 minutes).
9. Stir in ~2/3 of each of the cheeses³ and chives and cook until cheese melted and mixture becomes smooth.
10. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
11. Return the oiled pasta to the pot and stir to combine.
12. Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.
13. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses on top.
14. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 20-25 minutes.
15. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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¹ The recipe didn't specify whether to use black or white truffle oil. I had a small bottle of black truffle oil already open though, so I just went with that. It was good, but I'm not sure how much the truffle actually came through in the end. I do think it helped to augment the flavour of the gruyère though. So it wasn't wasted. Just a bit more subtle than I was expecting. ^Back
2 I didn't have any chives, so I stirred a generous tablespoon of dried leeks into my sauce instead. ^Back
3 Whoops! I forgot to hold back any cheese for the topping! I just put it all into the sauce. It was still delicious! No complaints. But it would probably look a little more special with some extra cheese on top. I'll try to remember to do that next time. ^Back