Ebony's Pearls

Lunch
Originally uploaded by nodigio

It doesn't look like much, but this is a really good macaroni and cheese dish with a sour cream based meatloaf. These are hte re-heated leftovers. They were much prettier when they were fresh out of the oven, but I didn't snap any photos right then.

The macaroni and cheese is made with Cabot's Seriously Sharp Hunter's Cheddar, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, smoked Gouda, and Parmesan cheeses. It has a sharp and slightly smoky flavor that goes fantastic with the sour cream meatloaf.

I made the sour cream meatloaf by mooshing together several medieval recipes for "farced" meats, and came up with this meltingly complex meatloaf.

These were originally served with this spring's first spears of asparagus, steamed and dressed with a dash of balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.

5 Cheese Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 18

6 tablespoons butter
salt
1 small finely chopped yellow onion
6 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown mustard (if you can get the German sharp mustard, so much the better)
3 cups whole milk, heated
1 cup heavy cream, heated
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 teaspoon dried tyme
2 bay leaves
8 ounces Cabot's Seriously Sharp Hunter's Cheddar (or other favorite really sharp cheddar), finely shredded
4 ounces Monterey Jack, finely shredded
2 ounce Mozzarella, finely shredded
2 ounces smoke Gouda, finely shredded
dash of Wine and Pepper Worchestershire sauce
salt, pepper to taste
1 pound uncooked small pasta (elbow, shells, rotini...)
water to cover
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups panko
1 1/2 ounces fresh parmesan
1 tablespoon dried parsley

Bring a large pot of water to boil with one bay leaf in which to cook the pasta. While the pasta is cooking:

In a 6 quart heavy non-reactive pot, melt the butter and sautee the onion until translucent - about 5 minutes. Add the flour and 1/2 teasoon salt and whisk smooth. Cook until it begins to darken, about 2 minutes. Stir in the mustard, then whick in the milk and cream, stirring until smooth. Add the srpig of thyme and a bay leaf, and simmer just below boiling for about 10-15 minutes. Discard the thyme sprig nad bay leaf. Stir in all the cheeses but the Parmesan with the worchestershire sauce. Keep stiring until it's all melted, but don't let it cook too long or the cheese will get stringy.

Heat the oven to 400ºF. Drain the pasta and stir into the cheese sauce. Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish and pour in the cheese and pasta. Toss the panko with the Parmesan, dried thyme, parsley, salt, pepper, and olive oil and distribute evenly over the top of hte cheesy pasta. Bake, uncovered, until the bread crumbs brown - about 15 minutes.

This dish doesn't freeze very well, but it does reheat nicely.

Sour Cream Meatloaf

Makes 2 10x5x3 loaves

2 pounds ground beef - 80-90% lean
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground turkey
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 small bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam marsala
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
salt, pepper
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups panko
1 teaspoon worchestershire sauce

Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil until translucent - about 5 minutes. Add the green bell pepper, then add the spices and herbs. Remove and cool. Knead, with your fingers, the meats, cooled seasonings, eggs, and sour cream. Let that stand while you heat melt the butter. Add the worchestershire sauce and panko to the butter and brown slightly. Cool and mix into the meat mix.

Pinch off a quarter-sized piece and brown it in a skillet. Cool and taste. If necessary, adjust the seasonings in hte main meat mix and re-sample. When the mixture fries up right, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchemnt paper and shape the meat into to squared off loaves. I like to leave mine unglazed, but if you want, a mushroom rgavy galzes this excellently well.

Bake at 300ºF for an hour.