Green Mac and Cheese for St Patricks: Avocado Mac and Cheese

Yes, that’s right. Green Mac and Cheese for St Patricks. I know you may immediately think of Green Eggs and Ham… which I was tempted to do, but since really it’s just putting pesto on an omelette, it didn’t seem quite as unique as this. This dish is served room temperature/cold, and best right away since the green will turn brownish the more contact it has with air, since the green is thanks to avocado.
Recipe of Green Mac and Cheese for St Patricks: Avocado Mac and Cheese, using cheddar and many green things like avocado, green jalapeno, lime, green onion, cilantro Recipe of Green Mac and Cheese for St Patricks: Avocado Mac and Cheese, using cheddar and many green things like avocado, green jalapeno, lime, green onion, cilantro

This is another great recipe only slightly adapted from the Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese. I previously wrote about this awesome cookbook when I attended book release party at Cheese Bar, and also when I made the 3 Cheese Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Sweet Pugliese.

Book cover for Melt: the Art of Macaroni & Cheese cookbook

This was one of the recipe that when I asked F to browse through the book and pick out recipes he was interested in, I remember him pointing out. It highlights Beecher’s Flagship Cheddar cheese, which is made just next door (ok practically next door) in Seattle. At the Pike Place Market location, I always peer in watching them make their curds and trying not to get tempted by their World’s Best Mac and Cheese or their grilled cheese sandwiches (they have one with their cheese and crab) or cheese curds that I can rationalize as a snack.

So this avocado mac and cheese seems like a perfect highlight of the Pacific Northwest, as well as cheese, and it’s green for St Patrick’s Day right? The recipe call for a jalapeño pepper and green onions and cilantro and lime zest and juice, more green on top of avocado, so win! Plenty of green ingredients just going in! So therefore, Green Mac and Cheese for St Patricks!
Recipe of Green Mac and Cheese for St Patricks: Avocado Mac and Cheese, using cheddar and many green things like avocado, green jalapeno, lime, green onion, cilantro

Per F’s preferences, I used skim milk but the more fat (say whole), the better. If you can’t find Beecher’s Flagship Reserve Cheddar, you want a really sharp, aged cheddar in order to stand up to let’s face it, the guacamole sauce.

Ingredients:
Recipe of Green Mac and Cheese for St Patricks: Avocado Mac and Cheese. Plenty of green ingredients.

  • 1 jalapeño pepper
  • 1 lime- we will be using the zest and all the juice. You may want additional limes cut into wedges for garnish and for diners to squeeze another splash of lime juice
  • 2 green onions chopped
  • 2 minced cloves of garlic
  • 3 avocados, pits and skin removed
  • 10 ounces medium shell pasta
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 10 ounces Beecher’s Flagship Cheddar, shredded
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

  1. Cook the pasta in salted water as normal, until al dente, drain in a colander and set aside- you may want to toss with a teaspoon of olive oil so the pasta doesn’t stick.
  2. While the water is boiling before you cook your pasta (or as it is cooking), remove the jalapeño stem and cut in half. You can kept the seeds in if you want the heat (I did) or remove them. Process the jalapeño with the lime zest and lime juice, the chopped green onions, garlic, and 2 of the 3 avocados until it becomes a smooth paste.
    Recipe of Green Mac and Cheese for St Patricks: Avocado Mac and Cheese, avocado, jalapeno, green onion, lime
  3. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat. When it begins to steam/bubble form around the edges remove from heat and set aside- you just want to use heated milk for the mornay sauce you don’t need to boil it! In a medium saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter, and then add the 3 tablespoons flour and cook until the roux is light brown (a few minutes), continually stirring to prevent burning. Then slowly add the heated milk and continue to stir to prevent scorching until the sauce thickens. Drawing a line on the back of the spoon should stay a clean line.
  4. Remove the mornay sauce from heat and add the salt, pepper, and fold in the cheese, letting it melt as you add it in handfuls. When all the cheese is incorporated, add the paste from step 2 and stir until the sauce is smooth. You may choose to add more salt or pepper to taste.
    Recipe of Green Mac and Cheese for St Patricks: Avocado Mac and Cheese, melting in the Beecher's Flagship (or other sharp, reserve) Cheddar before adding in the avocado sauce
  5. Add the pasta and cilantro and stir into the smooth sauce. Dice the last avocado and toss lightly into your completed Green Mac and Cheese, aka Beecher’s Flagship Cheese with avocado, lime, and shell pasta!
    Recipe of Green Mac and Cheese for St Patricks: Avocado Mac and Cheese, folding in the avocado cheddar sauce Recipe of Green Mac and Cheese for St Patricks: Avocado Mac and Cheese, using cheddar and many green things like avocado, green jalapeno, lime, green onion, cilantro Recipe of Green Mac and Cheese for St Patricks: Green Mac and Cheese for St Patricks: Avocado Mac and Cheese, using cheddar and many green things like avocado, green jalapeno, lime, green onion, cilantro

And there you go, something vegetarian AND green. Also, goes great with beer!
Recipe of Green Mac and Cheese for St Patricks: Green Mac and Cheese for St Patricks: Avocado Mac and Cheese, using cheddar and many green things like avocado, green jalapeno, lime, green onion, cilantro Recipe of Green Mac and Cheese for St Patricks: Avocado Mac and Cheese, using cheddar and many green things like avocado, green jalapeno, lime, green onion, cilantro

You must get this book and add it to your cookbook collection: I gave up bookmaking recipes that I wanted to make because it would be ALL of them. The 75 recipes in the book span from the ones emerging bubbly from the oven to stovetop to cold mac and cheese takes on pasta salads and even dessert versions!

 

 

Signature

St Patrick’s Day and St. Norbert College’s Cheese Broccoli

This is the first of two St Patrick’s Day recipes I thought I would share for the upcoming holiday. I will confess now that besides being green, they both involve cheese.

I clipped this recipe for St. Norbert College’s Cheese Broccoli  from the Chicago Tribune back when I lived in Chicago- which apparently, printed this in an issue in 2006. Wow. I guess I’ve had this on my to do recipe binder for a while!

It was a reader submitted recipe which she received herself from the chef at cafeteria of her college, St Norbert College. I love the fact that she remembered and loved this dish from her college cafeteria enough to pursue the chef for the recipe and make it part of her family tradition.

I can’t say I recall anything specifically in my memories of my school cafeteria days, at least food wise, except for the fact I thought the mac and cheese looked disgusting, and so I never had it until I was in college! Think about all the times I passed on mac and cheese in my entire childhood!

When I made this dish, the story of this recipe continued to charm me as I dug into this very simple, homey vegetarian side dish. The better your blue cheese, the better your dish will taste, and the 1 1/2 ounces is a very small amount just to add a little bit of tang, so don’t be scared of it. If you love blue cheese, you can obviously also up the amount of cheese.

It’s easy to put together as a side dish while making the main, and yields a huge 10 servings but can easily just be servings for four. The fact this is called cheese broccoli versus broccoli with cheese is sort of telling.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 5 ounces cream cheese (or neufchatel, or tofu of course), softened to room temperature
  • 1 1/2 ounces blue cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 packages (16 ounces each) chopped frozen broccoli (or chop fresh one to get this amount)
  • Crumbs from 25 buttery-style crackers, such as Ritz

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Once the butter is melted, you are going to make your roux; stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly; cook until thickened.
  3. Add cream cheese, blue cheese and salt. Stir until cheeses are melted. Remove from heat.
  4. Stir the broccoli into the cheese mixture; place into greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs. Bake until browned and bubbly, 30 minutes.

Can you ever go wrong by adding cheese to a vegetable? I think not, what about you?

 

The next St Patrick’s Day dish has multiple green in it, and IS mac and cheese! Check it out on Wednesday!

Signature