Mac N Goat Cheese Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a 2-quart casserole. Set aside. Cook macaroni in a large pot of boiling water according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cool water to stop the cooking, and set aside.
• Warm milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Gradually whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes, or until mixture is thick and smooth. Whisking constantly, gradually add warm milk. Cook over medium-low heat 8 to 10 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove white sauce from heat; add salt, pepper, and cayenne.
• In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup each yellow and white cheddar and 1/4 cup Parmesan; set aside. Set aside 1 tablespoon scallions. Add remaining 1 3/4 cups of both cheddars and 3/4 cup Parmesan to warm white sauce. Stir well. Stir in remaining scallions, then the cooked macaroni. Add goat cheese in 1-inch pieces; fold gently to combine.
• Transfer mixture to casserole; top with reserved scallions and cheeses. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil.
• Add the macaroni and cook about 8 to 10 minutes, or until just tender, depending on the size of the pasta. Drain.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. When the butter is melted and sizzling, stir in the flour to create a paste and cook 1 minute.
• Slowly add the milk, whisking to create a smooth sauce. Let cook about 5 minutes or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Remove the pan from the heat and slowly add the grated Parmesan and the goat cheese, whisking to create a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Use the olive oil to grease the bottom of a medium size gratin or baking dish, about 8 to 10 inches long.
• Place the drained macaroni in the dish and pour the cheese sauce on top, stirring gently to coat all the macaroni.
• In a small bowl, make the topping. Mix the Parmesan, breadcrumbs, thyme, and pepper. Spoon over the macaroni and top with the goat cheese.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the pasta is hot.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Trim the artichokes. Using a serrated knife, cut off the top inch of each artichoke and cut off the stem to create a flat surface for the artichoke to sit on the plate. Place in a Dutch oven. Zest the Meyer lemons and set aside for the topping. Cut 2 of the lemons in half and squeeze the juice over the artichokes and place the juiced lemons in the baking dish. Add the white wine, water, 1 cup of the oil, garlic cloves, coriander, bay leaves and peppercorns.
• On a burner on high heat, bring the liquid to a boil. Cover and cook in the oven until tender (leaves are removed easily), about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool and when cool enough to handle, carefully remove the center choke (heart) and smaller leaves from 6 of the artichokes, using a spoon. Then remove and discard all the leaves in the remaining 3 artichokes. Puree the remaining 3 artichokes in a food processor or blender.
• In a small saute pan on high heat, saute the green garlic in 2 tablespoons of the oil until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the 6 artichoke hearts and saute another few minutes.. Juice 1/2 a lemon and season the artichoke hearts with the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Spoon a little of the puree mixture into each of the 6 intact artichokes.
• In a medium nonreactive saucepan on medium-high heat, bring the cream to a simmer. Once it is simmering, add the pasta and stir often until pasta is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Stir in the goat cheese, thyme, lavender, and pink peppercorns. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Adjust to desired consistency by adding water. Spoon pasta into each of the 6 artichokes on top of the artichoke puree.
• Remove the crust from the rustic loaf and place the insides in a food processor. Pulse until you get fine crumbs. Saute 2 cups of the crumbs with 3 tablespoons olive oil on medium-high heat until golden and crunchy. Let cool. Once cool, toss the bread crumbs with parsley, reserved zest and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Generously sprinkle on top of the filled artichokes.
• Place the artichokes in an oven-proof dish with a little water in the bottom and place in oven until bubbly and hot through, about 10 minutes. Toss the arugula in a sprinkle of olive oil and the juice of the remaining 1/2 of a lemon. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. To plate, make an arugula nest for the artichoke on each plate. Place a warmed artichoke in the center.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium. Add onion and cook until translucent, 6 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is pale golden and has a slightly nutty aroma, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, add 2 cups milk. Add remaining 2 cups milk, raise heat to medium-high, and whisk until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Cook, whisking constantly, until sauce comes to a boil, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 13 to 15 minutes.
• Add spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add cheese and stir until melted, about 2 minutes. Add cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately.