A couple of years ago I made a macaroni and cheese to take to a barbecue in Villiers-Louis, France, deep country. I made this casserole in a sort of can’t be bothered way but the French loved it! I used 3 different French cheeses (reblochon, tomme de savoie, comte) and creme fraiche. I also mixed in some red bell pepper and onion. It was good, so I thought of making a reasonable facsimile today with the cheeses that are available in Pennsylvania, USA.
Surprisingly, it was difficult to find cheese that wasn’t reduced or low fat! Ditto for the sour cream (I substituted this for the creme fraiche). I like all the fat that’s supposed to be in my milk products. In the case of a particularly rich dish, I eat less of it, but I want all the flavor of the unadulterated product. The same goes for butter.
In the end, I had to settle for reduced fat cheddar, but normal monterey jack and mozzarella. The cheddar was an accident. My eyes were so glazed over from looking for normal cheddar that this one slipped by me. There was one container of normal sour cream left. I snapped that up! I think I have to make a bi-weekly visit to Wegmans in Scranton.
I do most of my shopping at the local Weis Supermarket. They offer both local and some organic vegetables and fruit. Fresh and pretty. And sometimes you can find meat that is organic/grass fed/free range. Like these lovely center cut pork chops.
I baked these in my usual way; salt, pepper, flour, butter in the pan. Marvelous!
Macaroni and Cheese
1/2 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp butter
1 lb small elbow macaroni, cooked
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, grated
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 cup sour cream
Bread crumbs
Saute the onion and bell pepper in the butter until the onion is soft, then toss with the hot macaroni. Add the monterey jack, the mozzarella, 1/2 cup of the cheddar and the sour cream. Stir to blend well. Pour the mixture into a baking pan and top with the rest of the cheddar, then the bread crumbs.
Bake in a 425 F oven for about 30 minutes.
Yum, your mac looks perfect. I had some for lunch today. It really is a secret favorite of mine. Look at that crust! Perfect!
Thank you Amanda 🙂
Lovely meal, great to see your version of mac n cheese, great with those beautiful pork steaks.
Cheers
Marcus
Thank you Marcus.
Looks amazingly delicious!
Thank you wd.
Bread crumbs on top! Next time I make mac cheese I am definitely putting breadcrumbs on top!
Nice 🙂
Thank you food. The secret ingredient 🙂
That is much simpler, I make a three cheese sauce and pour it over.. lack of good dairy here is why I milk my own cow! have a lovely weekend.. c
Hi c. It is simple. I’m going to have to take time out from unpacking and find a farm.
Yum!!
Thank you jerseygirl.
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hopefully with new studies showing that consuming ‘fat’ (in moderation) isn’t what actually makes a person fat, Americans will be willing to experience the gorgeousness of full fat cheese. I adore mac and cheese – am looking forward to trying this version.
Thank you Trish. I guess “moderation” is unknown here and therefore is enforced by what a grocer stocks. Grrrr.
Scrumptious. Delicious, indubitably. Nice blog, indeed.
Thank you Teklu.
So delish!
http://www.khoasinclair.co
Thank you Khoa.
This looks really good — I love the red bell pepper in it.
Thank you. I originally added it for color but love the taste.
Nice. It’s seems so simple and looks delicious.
Thank you tiny.
So wonderful for the soul! Great picture too!
Thank you Serena.
definitely deliious and comforting meals!!!
Thank you dedy.
Very nice. Very American. I have never cooked one. I must rectify that.
Thank you Conor. Very American 🙂
We always do a bechamel sauce and it’s nice, but not super creamy. I’ll have to give this one a shot.
I usually use bechamel also Greg but was in a hurry the first time I made this. It was worth repeating.
It’s amazing how a simple dish can have so many variants – in the Bahamas they make it with evaporated milk & peas and it’s oh so solid!
I’ve seen those solid mac and cheeses. I like a creamier version.
This looks delicious…I keep passing it on my WP feed and can’t resist staring at it! Must try the recipe!
Thank you Rita. It’s easy and good!
I miss good old cheese! Looks Yummy!
It does seem difficult to find. I’m going to try the local farms.
Tough to beat the classics. The looks really good, but the French one sounds amazing. Ken
It was Ken. The flavors of the cheese in France can’t be beat.
Yummy, I’ll have to get some cheese now and try this – so much easier than the bechamel version! Less washing up too and quicker to make, to ticks all the boxes for me.
I think I’m always going to make it like this too 🙂
Next time I make a pasta bake I’ll try yours… besides me, I can already think of more than a few friends who will have come back for more helpings of this Mac and Cheese 😉
Thank you reg.
You can’t beat Mac n Cheese!
No sir!
I love macaroni and cheese! Yours looks so good
Thank you Sarah.
You are definitely back in Kansas now 😉
Ah. You noticed.
It was the mac and cheese that gave the game away 😉
Yum! Would love to try this!
Do try it. It’s simple and worth it.
good,….
amazing
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