The Winning Recipe is HERE!
Theo’s winning recipe (minus his secret homemade sausage recipe). Thanks Theo for sharing the recipe with inquiring minds!
Theo Peck’s Original Sweet Cheesus Mac n’ Cheese Recipe
4ea. Shallots, sliced thin on a mandolin
1 lbs Dried Macaroni
5 cp Whole Milk
1 ea Onion, peeled, cut into quarters
2 ea Bay Leaf
4 ea Cloves
4 T Flour
1 T Mustard Powder
1 T Sweet & Smoked Paprika
4 T Butter, unsalted
10 Garlic Cloves, peeled
½ can Tomato Paste
1cp Carrot Juice
¾ cp Heavy Cream
5 ea Sliced American Cheese
5 oz Sharp Cheddar
3 oz D’affinos (soft double or triple cream cheese) rind removed
¼ cp Ricotta, soft
¼ cp Pecorino Romano, Sheep’s Milk Cheese
1 lbs. Breakfast Sage n Ginger Sausage or Bratwurst, sliced into coins, cooked, and seared off
Make the Fried Shallots
Toss the shallots with enough flour and a couple pinches of salt to thinly coat. Shake off excess and fried in ½ inch of canola oil. Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with salt.
Make the Garlic Cream
Place the garlic in a small pot and cover with cold water and bring to a simmer and strain. Repeat adding cold water, simmer, and strain. Place garlic back in small pot and add 1 cp of milk. Bring to a simmer, turn off heat and let steep until it cools down to warm. Place in blender and puree, and set aside.
Make the Béchamel
1. Scald the remaining 4 cups milk with onion, cloves, and bay leaf, and set aside to steep.
2. Heat and reduce carrot juice by ½, strain and set aside
3. Melt butter in medium to large pot.
4. Wisk together flour, mustard, and paprika. Add to melted butter and whisk until smooth, and cook for about 1 minute.
5. Strain milk and add to the roux slowly continually whisking to keep it smooth
6. Cook out the flour taste, about 5 minutes.
7. Add the garlic cream, tomato paste, carrot juice and whisk.
8. Add the cheeses, and continue to whisk
9. Use the cream to thin it out to desired thickness
To Assemble:
Cook the pasta and drain. Mix pasta with béchamel and Sausage, then cover with fried shallots….enjoy.
