Sometimes I like to think of myself as a 1950s-style hostess ““ always with a casserole in the oven on the off chance people will stop by hungry and need to eat it.
Well, my efforts paid off on Wednesday, because just as I was finishing baking the test dish for this column a few friends and coworkers stopped by to catch the latest episode of Project Runway.
Suffice to say, my macaroni went over a lot better than Carmen’s obscene attempt at menswear.
This dish is a bit of a time investment because it takes about 20 minutes to prepare and another 45 to bake, but I think it’s more than worth it in the end.
As a side note, any vague notion that I’m trying to diet flew out the oven door on this one.
Speaking of the oven, start by preheating it to 375 and buttering a large casserole dish. (You could probably also use a cake pan).
The first step to cooking the dish is to create a classic bechamel base sauce. This is a cornerstone of French cooking and important for any burgeoning cook to learn.
First you need to create a roux, or flour-butter thickening agent. Melt five ounces of butter over low heat, then add five ounces of flour and stir for three to five minutes, and until it’s combined without lumps.
Stir in five cups of whole milk and simmer, while continuing to stir, for 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens substantially. Make sure to continually scrape buildup off the sides and bottom of the pan.
From this base you can make a lot of other sauces. In this case we’re doing a Mornay sauce ““ which simply means we’re going to add grated cheese to the bechamel.
You can pick any cheeses you like for this dish, but I would strongly encourage you to avoid an all-cheddar mix ““ it just doesn’t melt and combine that well on its own.
I went with a bit of Parmesan, as well as some cheddar, Monterey Jack and mozzarella.
Combine about half the cheese you’re going to use (see recipe) into the sauce and stir until it is well combined and melted. Add the sauce to a pound of cooked macaroni and mix well, adding in the rest of the cheese, and add the mix to the casserole dish.
Now it’s time to add the finishing touches to the dish, something Sweet P from Project Runway was unable to add to her tailored dress shirt.
Bread crumbs are very important, and Japanese-style bread crumbs are simply the best and crunchiest.
If cooking is like fashion, good taste never goes out of style. And like fashion, the money is in the details.
I bought some Italian-seasoned Japanese-style bread crumbs, mixed them with a bit of Parmesan, and sprinkled a thick layer on top of the macaroni.
Once you have the crumbs on, make a few small cubes of butter and place them on top of the dish to add color and flavor as it bakes.
Now I have to be honest and say I’m not positive about the 375 I allegedly baked this dish at because when my oven was first installed, people were still wearing leisure suits. So keep an eye on the dish, and pull it when it’s golden brown on top.
This recipe makes a lot, so make sure to invite a few people over for your own TV party to spread the wealth.
If you know how to “make it work” in the kitchen, e-mail Pesce at apesce@media.ucla.edu.