Dining at The Atrium at The Cedars
The Atrium’s chef Heath Pollard enjoys preparing a variety of nutritious and delicious dishes for the members of our independent living community. During the winter months he receives several requests for his satisfying comfort foods. Here is Heath’s recipe for Macaroni and Cheese – which is a favorite dish for our members during the colder months in Maine!
The Atrium’s Macaroni and Cheese:
For the Topping:
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs
- 1 ½ cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
For the Macaroni and Sauce:
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 5 cups whole milk
- 6 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
Preheat oven to 400°F
Topping:
Melt butter, then combine with bread crumbs and topping cheeses in a bowl
Sauce:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat and stir in flour. Cook the mixture, for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, then whisk in milk. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly, then simmer, whisking occasionally, for 3 minutes. Stir in the cheeses, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until smooth. Remove from heat and cover surface of sauce.
Make Macaroni:
Cook macaroni in a pasta pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain macaroni. Stir together macaroni, reserved cooking water, and sauce in a large bowl. Transfer to 2 buttered 2-quart shallow baking dishes.
Sprinkle topping evenly over macaroni and bake until golden and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.
Enjoy!