This recipe is pretty easy but it makes a delightfully balanced dish that pairs well with greens and ham. Serves about six and takes about an hour.
Preferably you will make this dish in a 2 qt. dutch oven but you can do it in a 7″x11″ baking dish.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 C. uncooked macaroni noodles
- 1 1/4 C. Milk
- 1/2 C. Butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 Yellow onion (medium, chopped, about 1/2 C.)
- 4 oz. Fontina (shredded)
- 4 oz. Medium Cheddar (shredded)
- 2 T. Green Onion (chopped)
- 2 T. Parsley (chopped)
- 1 T. Salt
- 1 T. Flour
- 1 t. Paprika
- 1 t. Chives (chopped)
- 1/2 t. Fresh ground pepper
First, as usual, make sure to prep your ingredients. Not stated above is what to do with the noodles. Boil them, strain them, rinse them, and set them aside to cool. It’s perfectly acceptable to undercook them just a bit as we are going to be baking this dish.
Pre-heat your oven to 350℉
Now melt your butter on low in a large stockpot or your dutch oven if you’ve got one. Once the butter is melted add the milk, flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and chives. Whisk them together completely, remove 1/2 cup of the mixture, and put it in the fridge to cool it down.
After about 10 minutes whisk the eggs into the portion reserved in the fridge. Take this portion and add it to the the mixture left on the stove. Turn the heat up to medium low. Stir occasionally.
Take about 1 cup of each type of shredded cheese and set it aside. This will be topping the dish before it goes into the oven. The rest of the cheese is going into the milk mixture. You will stir this until the cheese is melted. When that’s done add all the onions and heat through.
Add the cooked macaroni, parsley, and mix it well with the milk mixture. If you’re using a baking dish move all the contents into that dish. If you’re using a dutch oven it should all be in there already.
Top with the cheeses you set aside.
Bake at 350℉ for 30-40min. uncovered or until the top begins browning.
If you’re doing a pre-cooked ham put it in the oven covered by a tin tent allowing ten minutes for each pound of ham in order to come out at the same time.
Remove and serve.
Take it light on the portions for this one. About a cup per adult serving and 1/2 cup per child. It’s very tasty but it is a pretty heavy dish. Go buck wild if you want. You’re an adult. Plus, heart disease is cool.