Featured Wisconsin Cheeses: Gruyere, BellaVitano, GranQueso
By Fork Spoon Knife
Mac and Cheese is perhaps one of the best loved comfort foods for all ages!
There is just something wonderfully enveloping about biting through a crispy crust and sinking your teeth into the soft and creamy inside. It’s like finding out that the hard-nosed manager/teacher is actually all warm and soft-hearted inside!
The only teeny issue is that with all the richness that goes into a typical M&C, it is better suited for the colder months. But, the good news is that it can be easily lightened up for summer! Lightening a meal can be accomplished in so many ways. I did not want to compromise on the flavor or heartiness of the meal and yet, make sure it was not a heavy or carb loaded meal.
My approach is to maximize the flavor of the cheese by using aged varieties and serving them in vegetable bowls.
I really love serving this decadent dish in simple vegetable bowls, especially tomato, with a side of a simple salad. The whole package makes a great perfectly portioned meal. Besides, as the creamy pasta bakes in the tomato, the juice of the tomato seeps into the pasta, infusing fresh flavors while keeping the mac and cheese moist and rich to taste.
Aged cheese is strong in flavor and a little goes a long way. I used a combination of Wisconsin Gruyere, BellaVitano® and GranQueso® cheeses.
BellaVitano has a fruity Parmesan flavor that is also creamy and melts right into the sauce. GranQueso is the perfect cheese to finish off the mac & cheese at the end of baking and again while serving, and also on the salad to tie the meal together. They are both individually perfect snacking cheeses!
This recipe is a great way to make a beloved recipe season perfect!
Summer Mac and Cheese in Tomato Bowls
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups elbow pasta
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups hot milk
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) Wisconsin Gruyere Cheese, grated
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) Wisconsin BellaVitano Cheese, grated
1 cup fresh sugar snap peas, peeled and skins retained
6 beefsteak tomatoes
3 tablespoons Wisconsin GranQueso Cheese, grated
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salty water until al dente. Meanwhile, on low heat, melt the butter, add the flour and whisk slowly until the raw smell goes away but not too much so it does not brown. Gently add the hot milk while whisking continuously. Continue cooking on low heat while whisking until the sauce starts to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the Gruyere and BellaVitano cheeses and mix well until you get a stringy sauce. The pasta should be ready by this time. Drain the pasta and gently fold it into the sauce. Add the fresh peas and fold gently. I also use the skins, diced small. They are a great source of nutrients.
Slice the top of the tomatoes and core them. But, make sure not to cut too deep at the bottom. Lightly salt the inside of the tomato and divide the pasta equally into the tomato bowls.
Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the grated GranQueso over the top; increase temperature to 400°F and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove, cool for a few minutes and serve with a light salad.
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BellaVitano, GranQueso, Gruyère, Recipe, Wisconsin Cheese
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