The Art of Creating Elegant Truffle Mac and Cheese
Making truffled mac and cheese is a great dinner party dish because it's kind of very casual but it's very elegant. People love it, and you can make it in advance throw it in the oven nothing to do when the guests arrive. This recipe starts with mushrooms, specifically cremini and shiitake mushrooms, which are sliced and sautéed in butter and olive oil until they're tender.
The cooking process is important, as it allows the natural flavors of the mushrooms to shine through. The addition of a little cream and sherry adds a touch of sweetness that complements the earthy flavor of the mushrooms. This combination creates a rich and savory sauce that will elevate the dish to new heights. As the sauce cooks, it deglazes the pan, releasing all the flavorful goodness into the truffle mac and cheese.
While the sauce is cooking, the pasta is prepared. The recipe calls for cavatappi, a type of squiggly pasta that adds texture and interest to the dish. The pasta is cooked in boiling salted water until it's al dente, then drained and set aside. Next, the truffle butter is melted and whisked into the sauce, adding a creamy and indulgent element to the dish.
The cheese is the final piece of the puzzle, with four cups of gruyère and three cups of grated extra sharp cheddar added to the sauce. The addition of nutmeg, salt, and pepper rounds out the flavors and adds depth to the dish. As the cheese is stirred into the sauce, the aroma becomes intoxicating, filling the kitchen with the promise of a delicious meal.
To finish the dish, the cooked pasta is combined with the sauce, topped with additional sautéed mushrooms and a sprinkle of breadcrumbs for added crunch and flavor. The bread crumbs are made from diced white bread with the crust removed, which is processed into fine crumbs with garlic and parsley. This adds a satisfying textural element to the dish.
Finally, the truffle mac and cheese is placed in the oven at 375 degrees for 40 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together and the top to brown nicely. As it bakes, the aroma fills the house, tantalizing everyone with the promise of a delicious meal. When the timer goes off, the dish is removed from the oven and left to cool slightly before being served.
One of the best things about this recipe is that it can be made ahead of time, making it perfect for busy hosts who want to impress their guests without too much fuss. Simply assemble the dish in the morning or afternoon, cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and let it sit at room temperature until dinner time. When you're ready to serve, simply bake the dish in the oven until hot and bubbly.
The finished product is truly impressive, a creamy and indulgent mac and cheese that's elevated by the presence of truffles. It's a game-changer for any dinner party or special occasion, and it's sure to impress even the most discerning palates. Who knew that mac and cheese could be so elegant?
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: eni'm making truffled mac and cheese this is a great dinner party dish because it's kind of very casual but it's very elegant people love it you can make it in advance throw it in the oven nothing to do when the guests arrive so i'm starting with mushrooms i've sliced cremini and shiitake mushrooms and i'm just sauteing them in butter and olive oil just until they're tender which they are it's perfect i'm going to add a little bit of cream sherry the sweetness is really good with them there's something about cherry and mushrooms that are really good together you'll get infused into the mushrooms but it's also going to deglaze the pan so you get all the flavor into the truffle mac and cheese okay while that cooks i'm going to cook the pasta so i like to use cavitape which is like a squiggly pasta i'm going to pour it into a big pot of boiling salted water and that cooks for about six to eight minutes next the sauce so i'm starting with truffle butter it's a three ounce pot i use white truffle butter because i really like the flavor okay that's gonna melt and now i'm gonna make the sauce i'll add half a cup of all-purpose flour whisk it constantly for two minutes pour in four cups of scalded whole milk and cook the sauce stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for two minutes so now i'm gonna have lots of cheese so i've got four cups of gruyere and three cups of grated extra sharp cheddar and then lots of seasonings just a sprinkling of nutmeg two tablespoons of salt and lots of pepper i'm just gonna stir this in oh this smells good it looks good this is like classic comfort food all dressed up for a party okay i think the pasta is ready so i'm going to strain it i'm just going to put it right in the bowl lots of pasta okay now i'm just going to put the sauce into the pasta and i want to do it while it's still hot you can really smell the nutmeg it's a little subtle but it really makes a difference and then stir all this in and then i'm going to add probably two-thirds of the mushrooms that i cooked i'll save some for the top can really smell the truffles how good is this going to be the aroma is going to be all the way through the house that's nicely mixed okay just put it right in the dish so nice you can really make this like early in the day or even the day before and just throw it in the oven before dinner and just because i can't leave well enough alone i've made her bread crumbs to put on top and it gives a nice really crunchy topping and lots of flavor let me tell you how i made them i put one and a half cups of diced white bread with the crust removed into the food processor with two cloves of garlic chopped three tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley turned it on and in a few moments i had perfectly fine bread crumbs all ready to sprinkle over the mac and cheese okay one more thing just so everybody knows there are mushrooms in this and truffles i'm just gonna do some mushrooms right down the middle of the dish okay into the oven 375 degrees for 40 minutes and this is going to be amazing and that's truffle mac and cheese who knew mac and cheese could be so elegant but i can't have it sitting here without at least a little taste just a little corner nobody'll miss it just smells so good that's a little taste that's the best mac and cheese i've ever made wow youi'm making truffled mac and cheese this is a great dinner party dish because it's kind of very casual but it's very elegant people love it you can make it in advance throw it in the oven nothing to do when the guests arrive so i'm starting with mushrooms i've sliced cremini and shiitake mushrooms and i'm just sauteing them in butter and olive oil just until they're tender which they are it's perfect i'm going to add a little bit of cream sherry the sweetness is really good with them there's something about cherry and mushrooms that are really good together you'll get infused into the mushrooms but it's also going to deglaze the pan so you get all the flavor into the truffle mac and cheese okay while that cooks i'm going to cook the pasta so i like to use cavitape which is like a squiggly pasta i'm going to pour it into a big pot of boiling salted water and that cooks for about six to eight minutes next the sauce so i'm starting with truffle butter it's a three ounce pot i use white truffle butter because i really like the flavor okay that's gonna melt and now i'm gonna make the sauce i'll add half a cup of all-purpose flour whisk it constantly for two minutes pour in four cups of scalded whole milk and cook the sauce stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for two minutes so now i'm gonna have lots of cheese so i've got four cups of gruyere and three cups of grated extra sharp cheddar and then lots of seasonings just a sprinkling of nutmeg two tablespoons of salt and lots of pepper i'm just gonna stir this in oh this smells good it looks good this is like classic comfort food all dressed up for a party okay i think the pasta is ready so i'm going to strain it i'm just going to put it right in the bowl lots of pasta okay now i'm just going to put the sauce into the pasta and i want to do it while it's still hot you can really smell the nutmeg it's a little subtle but it really makes a difference and then stir all this in and then i'm going to add probably two-thirds of the mushrooms that i cooked i'll save some for the top can really smell the truffles how good is this going to be the aroma is going to be all the way through the house that's nicely mixed okay just put it right in the dish so nice you can really make this like early in the day or even the day before and just throw it in the oven before dinner and just because i can't leave well enough alone i've made her bread crumbs to put on top and it gives a nice really crunchy topping and lots of flavor let me tell you how i made them i put one and a half cups of diced white bread with the crust removed into the food processor with two cloves of garlic chopped three tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley turned it on and in a few moments i had perfectly fine bread crumbs all ready to sprinkle over the mac and cheese okay one more thing just so everybody knows there are mushrooms in this and truffles i'm just gonna do some mushrooms right down the middle of the dish okay into the oven 375 degrees for 40 minutes and this is going to be amazing and that's truffle mac and cheese who knew mac and cheese could be so elegant but i can't have it sitting here without at least a little taste just a little corner nobody'll miss it just smells so good that's a little taste that's the best mac and cheese i've ever made wow you\n"
