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Featured Wisconsin Cheeses: Gruyère, Sharp White Cheddar

By Daisy Simmons

This rich, creamy recipe packs decadent flavors in with good old-fashioned baked mac consistency. White truffle oil brings out the mushrooms’ earthy deliciousness, while Gruyère and Cheddar sharpen the naturally sweet onions.

I decided to go with Gruyère as the principal cheese because I had just scored the perfect shitake mushrooms from the farmers’ market and really wanted to try them with a mac-and-cheese recipe. And Gruyère is a perfect match for mushrooms because it has its own earthy, slightly mushroom-esque taste.

My original vision didn’t include onions, but as I was pushing the mushrooms around in the pan, my nose reminded me of my favorite veggie burger fixings: caramelized onions and grilled mushrooms, and it seemed so obvious that I should add them in too. I’m glad I did because their natural sweetness contrasts nicely with the savory mushrooms and sharp White Cheddar.

In the end, the flavors all worked together really well and the crumbly crispy top was the perfect texture match for the melty goodness inside.

Wild Mushroom and Gruyère Mac & Cheese
Makes 8-10 servings

Ingredients:
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
5 tablespoons butter, divided, plus more for buttering pan
Olive oil
2 large white onions, sliced
4 cups sliced shitake or cremini mushrooms*
Salt
Pepper
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups milk
1-2 tablespoons white truffle oil (to taste)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
8 ounces (2 cups) shredded Wisconsin Gruyère cheese
4 ounces (1 cup) shredded Wisconsin Sharp White Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9 1/2 x11-inch baking pan or 8 individual ramekins. Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

While macaroni is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan. Sauté onions until caramelized, at least 30 minutes; remove from pan. In a saucepan, warm milk over low heat.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in pan used for the onions; add mushrooms and sauté until fully cooked, about 7-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To make cheese sauce, add 4 tablespoons butter to a medium-sized saucepan and heat over medium heat. Whisk in 4 tablespoons flour and stir about 1 minute. Add thyme, salt and pepper and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Slowly pour in the warm milk and simmer until sauce is thick, stirring constantly. Add truffle oil and Dijon mustard and stir well. Remove from heat and stir in shredded Gruyère.

To assemble, pour about 1/2 cup of the cheese sauce in the baking pan—just enough to coat the bottom. Add in a layer of macaroni, a layer of onions and a layer of mushrooms (1/2 of each). Pour about half of the remaining cheese sauce on top, and repeat the layer with remaining onions, mushrooms and cheese sauce.

In a small bowl, mix shredded Cheddar and panko. Sprinkle mixture on top of the casserole. Cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly.

*Note: If fresh shitakes are not available, you may substitute dried. Add them to the milk while you warm it and soak until mushrooms are rehydrated. Strain, reserving milk, and sauté with creminis. This will also infuse the sauce with smoky mushroom flavor.

You can find more posts from Daisy at The Feast and Real Moms Love to Eat.

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One Response to “Wild Mushroom and Gruyère Mac & Cheese”

  1. Lesia says:
    January 8, 2013 at 1:50 am

    Hi,
    This recipe looks so good…I can’t wait to try it! Can I make this ahead of time and just put it in the oven when company arrives?
    Thanks!

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