Featured Wisconsin Cheeses: Benedictine
ByBurp! Where Food Happens
If the way to someone’s heart is really through his/her stomach, then this post is probably as good as a love potion when it comes to enchanting and delighting your beloved. Although macaroni & cheese might be a bit heavy to serve as a Valentine’s Day dinner, it’s the perfect evening meal for a chilly winter weekend when you can’t think of anything better than snuggling up on the couch with a glass of wine and your lover.
Serve this delicious pasta with a crisp green salad and a glass of a nice full red wine. Either an earthy red Bordeaux or a spicy, fruit-forward Zinfandel would pair very nicely.
If you conjure your fondest childhood memories of macaroni and cheese, what do you envision?
A steaming bowl of creamy stovetop pasta graced with American cheese?
Delicious baked macaroni & cheese with scads of gooey sharp cheddar & a sprinkling of crispy bread crumbs? Or, how about a serving of that ever-popular electric orange macaroni & cheese from a box?
Regardless of your specific orientation to the dish, macaroni and cheese remains one of the most popular—if not the most popular—American comfort foods.
As a result, there are hundreds of recipes for mac and cheese out there. And you must trust us when I tell you that we’ve tried most of them. At heart, we’re big fans of simple, old-fashioned macaroni and cheese. However, we also really like venturing out and coming up with great new flavor combinations for this classic dish. And this version is one of our favorites so far.
Imagine sweet slices of perfectly caramelized onion paired with the earthy and slightly piney flavor of fresh rosemary and the pleasantly toasted notes of whole wheat elbows. Now imagine those ingredients cloaked in a fantastically creamy sauce made from Carr Valley Benedictine Cheese – a delightful and intensely nutty washed rind cheese made from a combination of sheep, goat, and cow’s milk.
While this somewhat inventive version of the popular dish will probably not take you back to your mom’s kitchen, I promise it will give you that same creamy dreamy comfort food feeling in the depths of your belly.
Caramelized Onion & Rosemary Mac & Cheese
Serves 6
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter, divided
5 cups sliced onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
3 cups (12 ounces) dry whole wheat macaroni
3 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup cream
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 pound (about 3 cups) shredded Wisconsin Benedictine Cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9×13-inch pan and set aside.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add onions and cook
without stirring for 7-10 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Reduce heat to medium and stir,
continuing to cook, for an additional 5-10 minutes or until caramelized. Stir in rosemary.
Remove onions from pan and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook macaroni noodles until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan. When butter is melted, stir in flour and stir constantly for 3-4 minutes. Add milk and cream slowly, whisking until combined. Bring milk mixture to a boil, and simmer until thickened, about 5-10 minutes.
In a small bowl, temper the egg with 1/2 cup of hot milk mixture. Pour egg mixture into milk mixture and whisk to combine. Stir in onions, cooked macaroni, and all but 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Stir until smooth.
Pour into prepared pan. Top with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake for 35 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbly.
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Benedictine, Macaroni & Cheese, Recipe, Wisconsin Cheese
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As always, looks great!