the comfort in cheesy goodness

This past weekend was full of glutenous indulgence (think mac ‘n cheese followed by full-on super nachos and later pizza)… It all started when J, from La Boulange Bakery handed me an orange cinnamon morning bun on the house. I kept it in my bag for a little bit because for breakfast I had consumed a whole cup of coffee and monster blueberry muffin.  Then I went home and baked this cheesy gooey deliciousness that is mac n cheese. I thought I’d make myself feel better by purchasing the multi-grain macaroni and adding some oven-baked broccoli. A blend of melted garlic cheese curd and pepperjack, and topped with leftover rye bread-turned breadcrumbs mixed with fresh sage and butter and it’s heaven in your mouth. 

Note: When making mac n cheese, it’s really important to add your shredded cheese at the end of the period you’ve been simmering your butter and (soy)milk (right before you add in the macaroni) because if you stir it for as long as I did, the fats will separate and you’ll have a big blob of cheese. Not that it’s not a bad thing or anything. 😉 Just a different consistency than you might imagine.

mac and cheese

i have the most bizarre cravings. they inspire me to cook and bake. this time it was breaded mac and cheese. back in the fifth grade or so my mom sent me to this after school program, it was more of a thing to keep my brother and me busy, also in hopes of making us smarter (thanks, mom). really, i think it was a big waste of money. however, one of the few fond memories i have is of the baked and breaded mac and cheese my writing instructor made, i think it was a last day of class celebration. it was so cheesy and gooey and warm and oh, so comforting, so much the opposite of those prep programs. in celebration of my GRE exam coming up on tuesday, i wanted to bring back some of that warm gooey deliciousness.

i burnt a little of the top, but it was all the more homier. i cut this epicurious recipe in half, substituted milk for soy mlik and added my own touch with a hint of thyme, tarragon and oregeno in the macaroni (i used shells :), and a pinch of chile to spice it up a bit. i also used my magic bullet to grind 3 slices of earth-balance butered toast and a small piece of leftover garlic bread to make the bread crumbs. the breading is what ultimately makes this mouthworthiness.