All the comfort
By Kelli Bowen
While some comfort food comes in like a set of cute vintage mittens, this comfort food comes in like a punch to the face with a preheated king-size weighted blanket. I present to you…sourdough Mac & Cheese.
I was at a meeting not that long ago and sharing my foray into sourdough as I slowly slip further down the grandma-hobby-rabbit-hole.
A head from across the table snapped up and said, “Have you tried sourdough Mac and Cheese?”
Interested and hungry, I replied I had not. A quick friend request and Facebook Messenger note later, I get a gratuitous photo of Mac n Cheese in my DMs. Some get indecent proposals. I get baked dairy and carbs. Don’t be jealous.
After receiving this cheesy food p###, I requested the recipe. That’s where I was introduced to CountryRoadsSourdough.com. Hello, my new bloggy friend. After running to my local grocery store, 20 miles away, to secure my ingredients. I got busy.
If you learn anything from my tale, it is: share your quirks with random people…they might have the hookup for the next level (or next recipe).
Oh yeah! The recipe is as follows:
Ingredients
- Macaroni noodles, 1 pound box
Roux
- Butter, 4 Tablespoons
- Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon
- Smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon
- Salt, 1 teaspoon
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Sourdough discard, ½ cup
- Whole milk , ¼ cup
Cheese Sauce
- Whole milk , 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons
- Hravy cream, 1 cup
- Colby jack cheese, 2 cups
- Mozzarella cheese, 1 ½ cups
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Make noodles: Boil 1 pound of noodles according to the package instructions, reducing the cook time by 1–2 minutes so they are al dente. You don’t want the noodles too soft, since they will continue to cook while baking.Drain and set aside. 454 grams macaroni noodles
- Melt butter: Melt the butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the seasonings and mix. 57 grams butter, 2 grams garlic powder, 2 grams smoked paprika, 5 grams salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Make roux: In a bowl, whisk the sourdough discard and ¼ cup whole milk until smooth and fully combined.Whisk the mixture into the melted butter, whisking continuously for 1–2 minutes. If the heat is too high, it may start to clump, but don’t worry, just keep whisking and begin adding the remaining liquids.57 grams butter, 120 grams sourdough discard, 60 grams whole milk
- Add milk: Slowly pour in the heavy cream and whole milk, whisking constantly until the sauce is smooth.240 grams heavy cream, 270 grams whole milk
- Let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Shred Cheese: Using a cheese grater, shred the cheddar cheese, colby jack, and mozzarella cheese, and mix all together.240 grams sharp cheddar cheese, 240 grams colby jack cheese, 180 grams mozzarella cheese
- Add cheese: Take the sauce off the heat and stir in ⅔ of the cheeses. Pour the sauce over the noodles and mix.
- Add to pan: Grease a 9×13-inch pan and add the noodles and cheese sauce.
- Bake: Add the remaining cheese on top and bake for 25 minutes.
- Broil: Broil for 3-4 minutes until golden on top
Happy Dairy Month!! And yes: this was freakin delicious!
Kelli, a North Dakota girl through and through, has made her home from the eastern prairies to the western badlands with her supportive Hubby, two daughters, and ever-growing menagerie accompanying her along the way.