Not Quite Martha, But Close

So one of my "things" is that I want to start cooking more. Cooking for me is anything that requires more than picking up the phone or shoving something in the microwave to produce a meal or portion of a meal.

A couple of weeks ago some friends/neighbors came over for food and a viewing of the season premier of True Blood (on a side note, I really need to catch up on this show). We were celebrating T*s birthday and she loves mac and cheese. As it's one of my comfort foods, I got volunteered to make it.

I decided to go all out and not only do home-style mac, but to do one that was a bit interesting as well. After a search on the 'net I came across a Martha Stewart recipe that everyone raved about. I had to laugh at the idea of me going all "Martha Stewart" but decided to give it a shot.

I gathered all the ingredients:



Got the recipe set up on the iPad* and my "helper" in place:



And after about a half hour of slaving (seriously, making a roux/bechamel sauce from scratch is not for the faint of heart) and a half hour of baking:



So changes I made...I don't use black pepper (I have an allergy) but left the other spices in. I used the Peccorino option and a combination of white and yellow sharp cheddar cheeses (Tillamook...YUM!).

Changes I would make in the future: I'd cut the recipe in quarter when cooking for any group fewer than 4 people. Half for less than 10. It makes a LOT. The pan you see is actually one of two. I had to bake a smaller casserole dish as well.

I was also thinking that I might use herbed bread crumbs next time instead of toast pieces. I would definitely recommend using the bread if you make it though. Otherwise the oil from the cheese tends to sit on top.

I will say that it was a huge hit and is still pretty great the next day. It's quite thick. The consistency of a fritatta really. I think it would work well with add-ins like meat and veggies for a true casserole too.

*I can't say how much I love having the iPad for cooking and other things. I have several recipe and "how-to" apps on it, plus I can sit and watch movies on Netflix in the kitchen while I'm waiting for things to cook. I feel justified in the money I laid out for the iPad for this aspect alone. :)