Thursday, April 15, 2010

Leftovers: Mac and Cheese

Ooooooooooookaaaaaaaaaaaay. I'll give you a bit more help on the Mac and Cheese front.

Assuming there actually was some mac and cheese leftover after you baked it, here is how I bring it back to life the next day, with the ease of the microwave.

Coming out of the fridge, that thing is so glued together you need a knife just to cut yourself a hunk of it. Sometimes I nuke the whole thing for about 20 seconds just so I can scoop my snacking portion into a bowl. (Note: this is a snack-sized portion, not a big honkin' bowl. Adjust accordingly. Maybe another 10-20 seconds per step.)
Once I have my little mound/brick of mac, I do the following:
Pour about 2 tablespoons of milk into the bowl I am reheating the mac in. Cover with cling film.
Microwave for about 20 seconds, or until you hear bubbling/sizzling.
Remove from microwave and stir. Then I add about a teaspoon of mascarpone* cheese to the mix, recover, and nuke another 12 seconds.
Remove, stir, and try not to burn your  mouth on the hot cheesy goodness.
Repeat photo. So? It looks GOOD!
I like my mac and cheese soft and warm and oozing with cheese, as you can tell from the way I reheat it. The breadcrumb crust on top is not my thing. I just do that for the hubs.  But if you REALLY want that as well with your leftovers - if you really really won't enjoy it without it, you can do the following:
Take a non-stick pan and melt a pat of butter in it. Then sprinkle in about a palmful of bread crumbs, and stir. Toast that combination on your stove top until it starts to become crispy, at which point you can spread it on top of your newly rejuvenated and extra creamy mac and cheese, and be a happy little camper.

I myself feel I must now fast on miso soup, steamed veg and quinoa for the next 3 days after eating quite so much of this for two days running.
Odds of that happening...? I predict complete dietary breakdown no later than 9PM.

*As with so many recipes, you can substitute with your reheating. Ricotta works in the place of mascarpone. If you have no soft fresh cheeses, try using cream instead of just milk. But even just a little milk will help bring your cheese sauce back together. The mascarpone is just for true decadence.
Which I have serious problems denying myself... :)
Enjoy!

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Thank you for this reheating tip! I always have a hard time with leftover mac n cheese because it always tends to taste bland the next day. Adding a little cheese would probably help the process along...even though it would help my hips along in the process. :)

Chuck said...

What a great new look to your blog. Very cool. Now I am hungry for mac n cheese and have none...thanks! :)

http://apackalipsnow.blogspot.com

Joe Ambrosino said...

You have mascarpone cheese just lying around in your fridge for these occasions? Very decadent, girl!

RocknRollGourmet said...

To be fair, I had bought the mascarpone and was finding reasons to use it in the most decadent ways ;)