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Baked Potato-Style Mac & Cheese
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Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese
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Pepperoni Pizza Mac and Cheese




Featured Wisconsin Cheeses: Pleasant Ridge Reserve

By The Rustic Kitchen

When the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board invited me to create a mac and cheese recipe for its 30 Days, 30 Ways site, I salivated over the idea of cooking with Pleasant Ridge Reserve, one of the most widely acclaimed cheeses in the country by rock star cheesemaker Mike Gingrich of Uplands Cheese Company. 

To give you an idea of the famous-ness of Pleasant Ridge Reserve, it was named best of show by the American Cheese Society a landmark three times.  No other cheese has won more than once.  I wax poetic about it here, along with its new younger sister, Rush Creek Reserve, created with Uplands Cheese Company’s newest cheesemaker Andy Hatch.

Such fame comes at a price, and often you’ll find Pleasant Ridge reserve at about $25 a pound.  Well worth it with the care given to the cows and to the cheesemaking process, and a delicious splurge for an elegant dinner party.  The good news is that small-scale servings mean you use less than a half pound for a big impression. Serve this beside a farm-raised rib eye and roasted broccoli and your guests will remember you fondly.

In keeping with this upscale interpretation of comfort food, I serve it in individual dishes.  Use ramekins if you like, but I find my little crème brulée dishes make a pretty presentation and give more surface area for that crunchy topping.  If you have neither, use shallow coffee cups for a touch of whimsy.

Oh-so-Elegant Macaroni & Cheese
Serves 6 as a side

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs, from about 1/2 dinner roll, crust on
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) Wisconsin Pleasant Ridge Reserve, grated and divided
2 tablespoons butter, plus more for buttering baking dishes
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups (6 ounces) penne pasta, slightly undercooked and drained

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter six 1/2-cup ramekins or crème brulée dishes
and set on a baking sheet. Toss together bread crumbs, rosemary and about 1/2 cup of cheese
in small bowl and set aside.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Once butter begins to bubble,
add flour and stir to combine.  Continue stirring for a minute until bubbly again; then add milk and salt. 
Stir until it thickens and bubbles form around the edge of the pan.  Remove from heat and stir in
remaining cheese. Mix in cooked pasta.

Divide pasta mixture among baking dishes and sprinkle with bread crumb and cheese mixture. 
Bake in the center of the oven until golden and bubbly, about 20 to 25 minutes.

 

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2 Responses to “Oh-so-Elegant Macaroni & Cheese”

  1. Diana Barich says:
    February 4, 2011 at 5:26 pm

    Sounds delicious Janine. Looking forward to trying both of your enticing recipes!

  2. Catherine says:
    February 4, 2011 at 10:47 pm

    Ah, Mac and Cheese: Will and I can’t wait to make it! thanks for sharing,
    Any Canadian cheeses you can recommend that might measure up to the Wisconsin prize winner?

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