Entrees/ Snacks & Candies/ Soups, Salads & Sides

Elevating A Classic Comfort Food: Mac & Mimolette Bake

Disclosure: I was given an assortment of free samples by The Cheeses of Europe to review. I get no additional benefits for talking about this product or company. All opinions about this product are 100% my own.

Comfort foods should bring both a physical and emotional comfort. But sometimes the comfort you remember as a child from your favorite foods doesn’t translate for your adult palate. Like the classic Mac & Cheese.

We all grew up with the ubiquitous Mac & Cheese blue box in our pantries filled with elbow macaroni and a “cheese-like” powdery substance. While that may have satisfied you as a kid, it is totally lacking of comfort for the adult you are today. The solution is to update the core ingredients in a classic Mac & Cheese recipe with quality ingredients that will satisfy the adult you are today that can also bring back some of the emotional comforts you associated with the dish as a child.

While it gets second billing in the title, CHEESE is the critical ingredient for a Mac & Cheese that you want to devour on a cold winter’s day. So for a modern twist, I’m using Mimolette Cheese instead of Cheddar cheese.

Mimolette Cheese?

Mimolette (pronounced mee moh LET) is made from cow’s milk and comes from the Pas-de-Calais region of France. It’s a hard cheese that typically comes in the shape of a cannonball. Its rind is brownish with tinges of orange.

Mimolette has a sharp, nutty and fruity taste that includes sweet hints of butterscotch. Its brilliant orange color makes it a colorful addition to any cheese platter – and it adds a sophistication without being pretentious to this adult Mac & Cheese dish.

MIM logo

Mac and Mimolette from CheesesOfEurope on Vimeo.

Does that have you salivating? There’s something so indulgent and satisfying about gooey cheese hot from the oven that is almost indescribable; it makes every dish that more delicious!

Try this Mac and Mimolette Bake recipe and decide for yourself if the Mimolette should get top billing over the Mac. Bon appétit!

baked macaroni with cheese

Mac & Mimolette

Ingredients

1/2 pound shell pasta
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup grated Mimolette cheese, plus more for garnish
1 large tomato, finely chopped

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray; set aside.

In a large pot of boiling water (salted), cook the pasta according to package directions. Set aside.

Meanwhile in a medium saucepan, place the cream, brown sugar, sea salt and wine over medium-high heat. Bring to a slow simmer, then cook gently for 5 minutes. Don't let it boil or it will become grainy. Stir in Mimolette cheese and cook, stirring until melted.

Stir the sauce and chopped tomato through the cooked and drained shell pasta. Pour into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with more grated Mimolette cheese and bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Notes

Recipe lightly adapted from The Cheeses of Europe

http://bakedchicago.com/elevating-classic-comfort-food-mac-mimolette-bake/

Disclosure: I was given an assortment of free samples by The Cheeses of Europe to review. I get no additional benefits for talking about this product or company. All opinions about this product are 100% my own.

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