Hear/Say

Those days I get a hankering for something delicious and cheap– and when the taco truck is too far out of my reach– I like to do a little scavenger cooking. Usually these creative ventures succeed unless you decide to melt all the cheese in your house into one hunk of yuck in an attempt for mac’ncheese…

Anyway, Sarah and I had a habit of throwing anything delicious into the same pan. This time I whipped up a delicious bowl of baked gouda mac ‘n cheese with salami strips and chunks of apple. Stack that bread crumb toss on top and bake until warm toasted, and devour.

And I was successful with the sauce this time; with patience and extra milk and butter, you too may reward yourself with this delicate balance of hearty and healthy mouth-watering dish.

APPLE SALAMI GOUDA MAC N CHEESE

~ for 4 servings

: however much salami you’d like to enjoy; cut into small strips

: 3/4 of an apple cut into chunks– not too thin so it’s still juicy good after you bake it

: 4.5 cups of macaroni noodles

: ~8 tblspoons of milk at hand (warmed up/room temperature)

: 3 tablespoons of flour

: black pepper

: sea salt

: dry bread/toast for breadcrumbs (~1 cup or so)

: olive oil

: 5 and 1/2 tablespoons of butter

: 1 cup shredded gouda cheese (smoked would be ideal)

: 1 cup shredded other complimentary cheeses (nibble and sample away to test combinations!)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Boil the macaroni in salted water until al-dente; drain and toss lightly with olive oil. Set aside.

3.  Melt the butter in a saucepan that will later fit the noodles

4. Wisk in the flower to make a roux– watch for lumps! Add half of the milk and whisk until smooth.

5. Keep adding the shredded cheese and milk in increments while whisking the cheese sauce smoothly; too much at one time might ruin the sauce. The stove top heat should be low to medium so as not to burn the cheese.

6. Prepare the bread crumb mixture– break and crumble the toast/bread, toss with half a tablespoon of olive oil with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper if you’d like some zaa zaa zoom.

7. Once the sauce is ready to your preferred thickness/amount, add black pepper, basil, and salt to flavor. If you see shreds of cheese, they haven’t fully melted– keep stirring. Also thicken and thin the sauce with milk or flower. If the cheese starts sticking together and hardening, add more butter and whisk thoroughly.

8. Once the sauce is done, mix the macaroni into the finished smooth cheese sauce. Add the salami strips and apple chunks; mix well so the goodies are everywhere. YUM

9. Lay it thick on a casserole or pie dish, sprinkle bread crumb mixture on, and bake for 20-30 minutes until the crumbs are brown golden and toasty. EAT!!!!!!