Mac and Cheese, the NH-made way

Two pots and one baking dish.  What's not to love about this recipe?

With an abundance of cheese produced in NH, it's easy to feature them exclusively in this classic, comfort-food dish.  This recipe results in a tangy cheese flavor, but have no fear, the creaminess is there.


Use any or all of the following for one pound of pasta:

1 c grated cheddar, half reserved, (Brookford Farm offers a raw cheddar that has a nice, strong flavor)
1 c (heaping) Brookford Farm's quark--any flavor
1/2 c grated smoked gouda (Fox Country Smokehouse out of Canterbury offers a delicious, creamy version)
1/2 c grated jack (Sandwich Creamery produces a similar, slightly smoked, slightly crumblier version with their cranberry wine-washed rind)
1/2 crumbled goat milk feta (Via Lactea produces a really tasty, mildly salty, smooth, herbed feta)

Have on hand:
2 c milk/buttermilk/combo of
2-3 cloves crushed cloves of garlic, papers and all
4-5 springs thyme, stems and all
4 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp mild mustard of choice
2 eggs, whisked
1+ c frozen peas
handful of chopped chives or scallions

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook pasta first until barely al dente.  Strain and give a minimal rinse under cool water to help end cooking process.  Set aside, reserve pot.

While pasta is cooking, start with the first step of a bechemel:

Heat milk/buttermilk (latter = tangier), garlic and thyme in a small saucepot
Simmer throughout the pasta cooking process.  Buttermilk will slightly separate during simmer; don't worry about it.

Using reserved pasta pot, melt butter.
Whisk in 3 Tbsp flour, mixing until popcorn aroma develops and mixture looks like coarse, wet sand.
Strain milk mixture all at once into flour mixture, stirring until thick and bubbly, then remove from heat.  Let cool slightly.
Add mustard, taste for seasoning.
Temper whisked eggs with up to 1/2 c of the bechemel, then add back to pot.  You should find that you have a creamy, velvety-thick concoction.

Fold all cheese, less the reserved 1/2 c cheddar, into bechemel (at this point now called a bearnaise), then add cooled pasta, peas and herbs.

Turn the whole kit and caboodle into an ovenproof,  deep dish.  No need to grease the dish.  Top with remaining 1/2 cheddar.

Bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly and golden.  Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Yum, 'specially with a nice glass of a big red wine.