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Portland Dining Month- A Visit to Park Kitchen

March 5, 2014 by Pechluck 9 Comments

March is Portland Dining Month! During this month, almost 100 restaurants in Portland will be offering a special menu of 3 courses for the low price of $29. In most cases, this prix fixed menu have multiple options for the three courses.

Portland Dining Month 2014 is in March- 3 Courses for $29

I covered some highlights from the list in my last post, and this time I wanted to recap one of my Portland Dining Month dinners, my first one- at Park Kitchen! Located in the North Park blocks, just a little walk from the Pearl but because of it’s location parking is very easy if you need to drive, though it is also only blocks away from the Portland Street Car or the Max Lines. Park Kitchen just recently celebrated it’s 10th anniversary. It is the older sibling restaurant to The Bent Brick (who is also participating in Portland Dining Month).
Park Kitchen in Portland, North Park Blocks

For Park Kitchen Portland Dining Month 3 courses for $29, it is a real value! Let me walk you through the options…

First Course

For the first course, you have the choice of two from their small plates section, either a hot small plate of Chickpea fries with squash ketchup, OR the cold small plate of Winter vegetable salad. I would recommend getting the Chickpea fries because they are famous here, and have been for years. I think there might be a riot if they took these off the menu.
Park Kitchen's Chickpea fries with pumpkin ketchup

In my case the squash ketchup was pumpkin ketchup, and you will want to scrape that empty. When I asked if the chickpea fries could be wrapped up to save room for the other courses and what little pumpkin ketchup was left included in the box, I was lucky enough to even get a little extra in the container, yay! You can see the serving of this hot small plate is more like medium size that can probably feed 4 people. Also you may notice that by total coincidence that Chef Gabriel Rucker (of Le Pigeon) in the background of my shot as he was also enjoying dinner at PK.

Second Course

For the second course, you have the choice of two large plate options, either the Milk braised pork with Your Kitchen Gardens leeks, curds and whey OR the Louisiana rice grits with trumpet royal mushrooms (vegetarian). Both these entrees alone you are already getting your money’s worth via Portland Dining Month, as that pork dish is normally at $29, and I think the grits at $27.

I picked the pork and it’s a beautiful, delicious plate. It made me wonder why it’s been so long since my last visit to Park Kitchen, as this plate was so excellently executed and full of flavors. Sorry, I’ll do better now PK, I will not take you for granted.
Park Kitchen Milk braised pork with Your Kitchen Gardens leeks, curds and whey

Third Course

Sticky date pudding with vanilla-rum ice cream and confit lemon. I love how the very tart confit lemon contrasts with the sticky richness of the date pudding.
Park Kitchen Sticky date pudding with vanilla-rum ice cream and confit lemon

Not part of the 3 courses, but because I needed a little something was this Park Kitchen cocktail of Burnsidecar with Whiskey, Cointreau, Lemon, Angostura Bitters, Spicy Chipotle Sugar Rim.

If you can, make Opentable reservations because if you make you reservation through OpenTable, Downtown Portland will also make a donation to the Oregon Food Bank as long as you use this link. A great majority- 68 last I looked- of the participating Portland Dining month restaurants accept reservations over OpenTable, and Park Kitchen does accept reservations over OpenTable. Last year, more than $1,800 was donated to the Oregon Food Bank to assist with their work of distributing emergency food to hungry families.

Check out the Downtown Portland Portland Dining Month website for a map of where the various participating restaurants are located to be convenient for you, as well as menu listings. If you are interested specifically in which ones have vegetarian or gluten-free options, Portland Monthly has put together a list.

I am also still in the midst of doing a free giveaway where I am giving away a dinner for two at a Portland Dining Month restaurant! You can still enter, but hurry up because it ends Thursday at midnight (when it turns into Friday)! Giveaway has ended
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Cocktails, Festival Event, Food and Drink, Restaurant Review Tagged With: Burnsidecar, Chickpea Fries, cocktail, Milk Braised Pork, North Park Blocks, opentable, Park Kitchen, portland dining month, Sticky Date Pudding

Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe

March 4, 2014 by Pechluck Leave a Comment

I know this is shocking- I’m actually sharing a meat recipe, a Honey Mustard Chicken recipe. In theory you can also use Quorn Chick’n – their meatfree “Chicken” cutlets or fillets for instance, you don’t have to necessarily use real chicken. Honey Mustard chicken is one of those flavors that is very classic and natural, and I think the spicy sharp flavors are a great counter when eating something rich and creamy also on your plate, which was the case here.

Honey Mustard Chicken with 3 Cheese Macaroni and Cheese Casserole with Broccoli and Sweet Pugliese

In this case I had 2 guests over that I could actually share this with, so I pulled out the chicken breasts from the freezer and made these to go with the recipe I recently shared, 3 cheese Macaroni and Cheese casserole w broccoli and sweet pugliese topping from the cookbook Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese. I met one of the authors, Stephanie Stiavetti, when she was at Cheese Bar promoting the book release- you can see my blog post from that book release event here. None of these are sponsored posts- I just like cheese, I like Mac and Cheese, so no surprise I love the Melt cookbook.

Honey Mustard Chicken with 3 Cheese Macaroni and Cheese Casserole with Broccoli and Sweet Pugliese

The original recipe for the 3 cheese Macaroni and Cheese you see alongside this dish (which I covered in this blog entry last week) called for using pancetta. However, since F was going to eat this too, I had to omit it, as there really is not a good substitute for pancetta for a vegetarian. For my guests though, I decided to add having some roughly cut/shredded honey mustard chicken on the side as a mustardy, cleansing counter to the melty creamy rich mac and cheese and make it more of a meal.

Simple Recipe for Honey Mustard Chicken

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or you can use 4 small ones- my chicken breasts that I had were huge, and easily fed 3 of us with leftovers so was probably 4 breasts worth!)
1/2 cup mustard – many recipes call for Dijon Mustard, but I used spicy brown mustard to make it even more mustardy
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar – you can also use other kind of vinegar such as rice vinegar
Salt & pepper

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together mustard, syrup, and vinegar.
Place cleaned chicken breasts into 9×13 greased baking dish. Season with salt & lots of pepper (I probably used about 1/2 tablespoon of each- make sure you season both sides!). Pour mustard mixture over chicken. Make sure each breast is coated. I then let it marinate for an hour or so.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake your chicken breasts, with the mustard sauce, for about 30-40 minutes.
Let rest for 5 minutes or so, and then roughly cut/shred before serving.

And there you go, so easy!
"Easy

What’s your favorite way to have chicken? Do you like honey mustard? And did you also know that in Germany they have mustard soup???

Filed Under: Cooking, Food and Drink Tagged With: baked chicken, chicken, easy chicken recipe, Honey Mustard Chicken breast, recipe, shredded chicken

Portland Penny Diner Russian Pop Up – celebrate Russian Sun Festival

March 2, 2014 by Pechluck 2 Comments

Disclosure: I was invited to the Blini and Vodka Pop-up event on Friday so the blinis and my vodka infusion were complimentary, but I paid for the piroshkis earlier in the week and the other cocktails at the Russian Pop Up on my own. I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

I was really excited when I saw a press release sharing that Chef Vitaly Paley was getting into the spirit of the Russian Sun Festival, also known as Maslenitsa, as well as the end of the winter Olympics in Sochi. When I lived in Chicago, one of my favorite restaurants was Russian Tea Time– it was one of the first restaurants I enjoyed with my new found freedom as a college student now able to make my own dining adventures in Chicago. I fell in love with pelmeni, vareniky, beet caviar, tashkent carrot, salmon crepes (my first try at caviar), Russian herring and drank bottom glasses of russian tea. I realize that since moving to Portland, I haven’t had any russian food at all. Thankfully, chef Paley was about to end the drought.

This pop up is becoming part of a series it turns out: check out this story at Portland Monthly on the new Russian pop-up series DaNet!

Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa). This included homemade Steelhead Caviar

The celebration was being held via special menu items at both Portland Penny Diner and Imperial.

Piroshkis for Lunch at Portland Penny Diner

First, all this week from Feb 24-28, Portland Penny diner has been offering different piroshkis for lunch. They were $4, and were announced to feature flavors such as potato, onion and rosemary, cabbage and smoked ham hock, chicken liver and mushrooms, and beef short ribs and caramelized onions. After a long dentist appointment on Tuesday, I was able to drop by, which I usually can’t given my work is in Beaverton and PP usually is closed when I get downtown. I ordered both piroshkis of the day, and though the cabbage and potato one was fine, really enjoyed the mushroom and duck liver piroshky. Next door for dessert, Imperial served stuffed blintzes but I wasn’t able to make it.

Portland Penny Diner Portland Penny Diner and Piroshkis

Russian Pop up – Blini Bar and Vodka Bar at Portland Penny Diner

Then, this past Friday night from 5:30 – 8:30 pm.was a pop-up blini bar with live Russian folk music, courtesy accordion player Leonid Nosov and singer Anna Kazakova (get a little taste of the music thanks to BroussardComm’s little Instagram video here).

Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa) Portland Penny Diner pop-up blini bar with live Russian folk music, courtesy accordion player Leonid Nosov and singer Anna Kazakova

For only $15, Portland Penny Diner and Imperial crafted a blini bar buffet with traditional and non-traditional toppings. Offerings included blinis and potato pancakes that you could then top with jams and sour cream, homemade Steelhead caviar (check out Chef Paley’s Instagram proof right here!), Steelhead pastrami, sour pickles, fire roasted and marinated mushrooms, pickled herring, smoked mackerel salad, Chef Paley’s grandma’s fish under carrot marinade and beet pkhali, and other zakuskis (Russian drinking snacks).

Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa)

I was slightly embarrassed when Chef Paley caught how full my plate was- but I really did get a little bit of everything, and I loved it all! My plate was completely bare at the end! Fortunately, he complimented me on how colorful my plate is, and even took a photo, so phew.
Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa)

Now it was time for a couple more drinks. While I had been eating, I had sipped on some of Bar Manager’s Brandon Wise’s Infused vodkas. These included like this one with Cucumber, Melon and Spicy Pepper, as well as Apple & Ginger Vodka, Beet & Caraway Vodka, and Radish Thyme Pink Peppercorn Vodka.
Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa), with Vodka Infusions courtesy Barman Brandon Wise like this one with Cucumber, Melon and Spicy Pepper

It was time to get serious though. I tried out his new Russian cocktails. This first one is the Russian 5 with vodka, lillet blanc, framboise, apricot liqueur, prosecco. Other concoctions he created included the Iron Curtain, with vodka, carpano antica, green chartreuse, bitters and spicy pepper tincture, and also the Red Gazette with brandy, cherry herring, Amaro St. Maria, lemon juice, mulled Pinot Noir syrup and bergamot black tea.

My favorite of the evening I tried was the Ivan Dragos’ Punch with vodka, orange rum, apricot liqueur, allspice dram, tea, prosecco.

Courtesy Barman Brandon Wise, this cocktail is a special Vodka Drink called Russian 5 with vodka, lillet blanc, framboise, apricot liqueur, prosecco, at Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa).

It’s not too late though to squeeze in one more celebration tonight of the Russian Sun Festival!

4-Course Russian Dinner at Imperial
Tonight, Sunday, March 2nd, Imperial’s Russian pop-up week will culminate with a 4-course dinner at Imperial. At $65 per person plus an optional $25 wine pairing, gratuity not included, reservations for the dinner will be available starting at 5pm. Infused vodkas and specialty cocktails will also be available from Bar Manager Brandon Wise. The 4-course menu includes:

Minute Cured Steelhead Belly, Salad Russe, caviar crème fraiche and dill
Anya’s Borscht, black bread and garlic
Goose Confit Stuffed Cabbage, smoked stuffed goose neck and chopped goose liver
House Ricotta Blintz, huckleberries and almonds

This pop up is becoming part of a series it turns out: check out this story at Portland Monthly on the new Russian pop-up series DaNet!

Filed Under: Festival Event, Food and Drink, Sponsored Post Tagged With: #Russianpopup, Blini Bar, Blinis, Brandon Wise, Ivan Dragos' Punch, Maslenitsa, Piroshkis, Piroshky, Portland Penny Diner, Russian 5 Cocktail, Russian Pop Up, Russian Sun Festival, Steelhead caviar, Vodka Bar, zakuskis

March Portland Dining Month: 3 Courses for $29 + Dinner for 2 Giveaway!

February 28, 2014 by Pechluck 29 Comments

Disclosure: I am not being compensated for this post, and the Gift Certificate was won by me from a Rafflecopter via Portland Bloggers/Watershed Communications, and I am passing it on to you. I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

I’m so excited! This is my first giveaway on the blog! I’ll be giving away via Rafflecopter to a random entrant a gift certificate for two to have a Portland Dining Month dinner! Giveaway has ended

Portland Dining Month is back, moved up from what has been previously been the month of June to now be in the month of March! During this month, almost 100 restaurants in Portland will be offering a special menu of 3 courses for the low price of $29. In most cases, this prix fixed menu may have multiple options for the three courses.

Portland Dining Month 2014 is in March- 3 Courses for $29

I’ve been participating in Portland Dining Month as a diner for several years. Last year, in 2013 I visited and recapped as example Portland Dining month experiences dinners at Firehouse Restaurant, Quartet, Accanto, Urban Fondue, Fratelli (since closed but still a great example of what a great way to discover and make yourself visit restaurants Portland Dining Month is), and H50 out of my initial 2013 Restaurant Highlight list.

Images from Prix Fixe dining at Firehouse, Urban Fondue in 2013

Meanwhile, in 2012 Portland Dining Month experiences include the posts I did at Oven and Shaker, and Clyde Common. Except for Fratelli, H50, and Clyde Common, all those restaurants I named are back in the 2014 Portland Dining month list.

Images from Oven and Shaker in 2012

As I do every year, I like to share a few of my personal highlights of restaurants/prix fixed offerings in March that catch my eye. I usually will pick restaurants based on food options in their 3 courses that sound good, as in some cases the restaurant will offer dishes are special for Dining Month, or you are getting a tremendous value on the price of normally dining there. Of course remember that the menus are subject to change by the restaurant at any time.

There are many excellent choices- about 100 in fact- of restaurants participating in Portland Dining Month. I just couldn’t highlight them all!

With March also being the month of Mardi Gras, it only seems right to consider Acadia with its New Orleans/Creole food from Louisiana on your dining list and it’s generous 4 (four!) courses that include Louisiana BBQ Gulf shrimp, Crawfish tails, Louisiana caught sea bream, and Creole bread pudding. Just don’t go on March 4, which is when they have a special and separate Fat Tuesday celebration planned if you have your sights set on the Dining Month menu.
Accanto on Belmont was one of my favorite dining month experiences last year with its fresh pastas and very seasonal, unusual ingredients (they introduced me to Wrinkle Crinkle Crumple Cress). Their second course pasta course options of Cacio e pepe with Meyer lemon tagliatelle and Pecorino or Capellini with chili, garlic, anchovy and pea shoots sound amazing. I had the second dish last year, as you can see below. Also, next door you can check out Genoa instead if you want something a bit more upscale but still at the $29 for 3 courses price point, huge bargain here! Reservations available on OpenTable both for Accanto and for Genoa.
Aviary is a good value at this price with its sublime French and Asian influenced offerings on NE Alberta. This is a great chance to try out a previous Restaurant of the Year award winner and they offers pretty creative food. Reservations available on OpenTable.
Everyone thinks of Besaws for brunch, but they use their own farm to also source the dishes on their dinner menu and are worth checking out – they have a special chicken roulade dish they don’t usually have for Portland Dining Month.
You get your choice of Heirloom beet salad with walnuts, grilled chicory and Hannah Bridge cheese or Oregon black truffle salad with crispy pig’s ear, frisée and poached egg as firsts at Bent Brick, so I’m already sold. I also have to tell you they have incredible cocktails here. I would be disappointed in you if you visit here and don’t try at least one cocktail. Its sibling restaurant Park Kitchen in the North Park Blocks is also participating and whose 2nd course option of Milk braised pork with Your Kitchen Gardens leeks, curds and whey alone is $29 on their regular menu. Reservations for Park Kitchen available on OpenTable.
You can get a pretty good deal at the sweet Cocotte Bistro, where the third course offering of Poulet En Cocotte with milk-fed half-bird, farro risotto, market produce, poached farm egg, jus is normally already $25 on the menu! You can add a wine flight for $12 or a dessert for just $5 more. Reservations available on OpenTable.
Shouldn’t be a surprise that Departure is a recommendation of the participating restaurants given the incredible flavor combinations and innovation that Chef Gregory Gourdet offers on the pan-Asian menu. For their menu, they are offering choices for main course of Crispy rockfish with green papaya, roasted garlic and sweet chili glaze or Grilled beef coulette with toasted broccoli, Korean chili and fermented black bean jus. One of the dessert options is a tasty sounding Pineapple icebox cake with banana ice cream, candied almond and spiced caramel. Reservations available on OpenTable.
Higgins offers classic Northwest cuisine and is one of the founders of Northwest cuisine. If you haven’t been yet, you should go at least once to this Portland institution, especially since the dishes they are offering include an Alsatian country-style terrine of duck and pork with dries cherries and hazelnuts for their first course. All the dishes are part of Higgins’ 20th anniversary celebration menu comprised of dishes from it’s March 1994 opening.
For some traditional Japanese, check out Hokusei where you can be transported to another country for a dining spell. The second course of Nijimasu teriyaki: Oregon steelhead with rye bourbon teriyaki sounds very alluring, and their third course are five pieces of nigiri if you are not a big dessert fan and would just rather have more food!
Ever since revisiting Imperial during Feast, I’ve been back several times and have been pretty enamored of various specials they offer. They have a special entree for dining month of Braised lamb shoulder with cauliflower “cous cous,” olives, preserved lemon and curried cashew brittle. No matter what, get that Parker House roll. It is worth that extra $1. I also recommend the cocktail below, A Radish Walks Into A Bar that uses radish gastrique as a nod to Chef Paley’s win of Battle Radish on Iron Chef. Also participating is Paley’s Place, his more upscale restaurant. Reservations available on OpenTable both for Imperial and Paley’s Place.
Little Bird recently revamped their menu to offer more of a French perspective than before, as I covered recently when I stopped by for their new burger. One of the offerings for their second course is the Chicken Fried Trout you see below with gribiche, herbs, radishes and pickled carrots that I wrote about before. Reservations available on OpenTable.
Ned Ludd is very Northwest and seasonal, and I love the beautiful atmosphere there. Pricewise, you are getting a bargain with 3 courses for $29 here since their entrees are typically in the $20 range already
Both the NW and SE locations of Olympic Provisions are participating, usually their entrees at dinner are already in the $20 range so you are getting some savings here with 3 courses. I would not be surprised if you walked out after dinner with a salami or two. For their third course, they are offering a Saucisson au chocolate, aka chocolate salami with French style dark chocolate ganache and warm baking spices, nuts, candied ginger, and red wine, which Portland Monthly previous highlighted the intensive recipe! Reservations available on OpenTable.
If you haven’t been to Oven & Shaker, check out all my previous reviews of their excellent seasonal pizzas
I’m a big fan of Picnic House, as you might have guessed from these previous raves I’ve written. I don’t know what they are offering for Dining Month, but whether it’s on their prix fixe menu or not, do not, do not miss getting dessert. That chocolate bundt cake is my favorite chocolate cake in Portland. Also, don’t you want a selfie with that monocled bear? Reservations available on OpenTable.
Punch Box Social is stepping it up because besides 3 courses, their Portland Dining month dinner offers a cocktail- a choice of either Monk’s Vacation (Portland potato vodka, green chartreuse, pineapple juice, lime juice and simple syrup shaken and served chilled with a lime garnish) or Heart of the Union (Union gin, triple sec, beet syrup, lemon juice and orange bitters shaken and served over ice with a lemon wheel). Reservations available on OpenTable.
I have Ración at the top of my Portland Dining Month list- they have a 3rd course offering of Wagyu culotte steak with heirloom carrots, smoked apple cider, turnip and cocoa. Usually you have to have everyone at your table spend $50 for the chef’s tasting menu, and with Portland Dining Month you are getting 3 of the 5 courses for $29. Look for a recap in the next couple weeks! For a similar deal what is usually a spendy multiple course, check out Biwa who is offering their omakase (all chef’s choice, so be ready and open for anything) for $29 a person instead of the usual $40.
Serratto is on the list offering seasonal slow food that brings together local Northwest with France and Italy and the Mediterranean that results in something familiar and comforting but yet new (I visited and reviewed them here as part of a Bloggers Group). Given how much I loved the courses during that visit, I think their entree options of either Braised Carlton Farms beef cheek with porcini-potato gnocchi, smoked cipollini onions, braised leeks and carrots or the vegetarian Ravioli with forest mushroom, caramelized onion and goat cheese filling, grilled asparagus and preserved lemon cream sound incredible. Reservations available on OpenTable.
The excellent fare at Smallwares is also complimented by some great cocktails. They make sure that there is a vegetarian option for each of the courses of the prix fixe, so if you can’t enjoy the Braised pork shoulder with squash puree, roasted mushrooms, smoked honey and Chinese mustard, the vegetarian option of Spicy tofu noodles, Thai basil, pickled pineapple and salted black bean promises a lot of flavor without the meat. Reservations available on OpenTable.
Tabla offers the best tarjarin in Portland and that is one of the five pastas they offer as a possible primi pasta course (after a choice of 6 possible starters and then third course featuring 4 entrée options). Next to the half order of tarjarin below you can see the starter from a previous visit of a gorgeous Fall Vegetable Salad. A good choice if there several of you and you want to enjoy Portland Dining Month prices but have a good choice of different things to eat still. Other participants of Portland Dining Month offering many options for the prix fixe include Firehouse Restaurant (which I recapped a visit here) and Gracie’s. Reservations for all three of these available on OpenTable.

I mention Opentable reservations because if you make you reservation through OpenTable, Downtown Portland will also make a donation to the Oregon Food Bank as long as you use this link. I love OpenTable to see availability of restaurants at times I am interested in, to easily make reservations using online, and also collect points for dining certificates. A great majority- 68 last I looked- of the participating Portland Dining month restaurants accept reservations over OpenTable. Last year, more than $1,800 was donated to the Oregon Food Bank to assist with their work of distributing emergency food to hungry families- we can do better this year!

Let me help you enjoy Portland Dining Month by giving away one gift certificate for you a dinner for two! This gift certificate was something I won courtesy of Portland Bloggers and Watershed Communications and rather than using it myself, I am passing it on to you!

Giveaway has ended Use the Rafflecopter below to participate- this will run for 1 week, so a random winner will be chosen next Friday at 12:01 am! Come back to tweet about the giveaway in order to enter daily! Winner must respond within 24 hours and the gift certificate will be mailed. The gift certificate is good for two people to enjoy Portland Dining Month dinner at one of the participating restaurants.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Festival Event, Food and Drink, Sponsored Post Tagged With: #pdxbloggers, 2014 Portland Dining Month, giveaway, March 2014, opentable, portland bloggers, prix fixe, Watershed Communications

Melt’s 3 Cheese Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Sweet Pugliese

February 26, 2014 by Pechluck 6 Comments

I wrote previously about how I attended a book release party at Cheese Bar for Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese. This recipe for 3 Cheese Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Sweet Pugliese is the first recipe I’ve blogged about from the book, though I’ve actually made a couple others already. Well, let’s say this is one I changed the least so thought I could more fairly share.

One of my favorite recipes from the book is one I barely even follow but use as a guideline: a recipe with Raclette with Farfalle, Cornichons, and Sauteed Onions. I ended up using Farfalle or Bow Tie, and switched out the Raclette for whatever cheese I have available, but throwing in that sweetness from sauteed onions or leeks, and then little cut up cornichons for a bit of acid has been a revelation of a different kind of flavor to mac and cheese.

F looked at me weirdly when he saw me chopping the cornichons (I have also used mini sweet pickles), but it totally makes sense. You often see cornichons on a cheese plate- of course it would work with mac and cheese!

Now, this recipe for 3 Cheese Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Sweet Pugliese also originally had pancetta. However, I don’t think there is anything even remotely vegetarian that I can substitute for pancetta, so I simply omitted it.

Instead, I upped the broccoli by a little bit, and added a little bit of olive oil since I didn’t have leftover pancetta frying grease. Instead of chives, I sprinkled some red pepper flakes just for a little hint of heat. I also served this with a side of honey mustard chicken for those who can eat meat (you can use Chik’n for a non meat version- the sauce if vegetarian).

The usage of a sweet pugliese or whatever crusty bread on top really makes for an interesting texture with the mac and cheese and the broccoli makes it healthy, right?

Recipe adapted from Melt, 3 Cheese Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Sweet Pugliese, vegetarian and mac and cheese comforting goodness

Ingredients:

12 ounces elbow macaroni
I omitted this because I wanted it to be vegetarian, but also 1/2 pound/1 cup of thick-cut pancetta, chopped coarsely and fried until crispy. Don’t throw out the fat, you can use it in the recipe! If you are being vegetarian like I was, just use 1/4 cup of olive oil.
2 1/2 cups milk – I used 2% milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces aged Cheddar, grated. The book recommends Pineland six-month aged Cheddar, and I happen to use Tillamook Aged Cheddar. The cookbook notes you can use any medium-sharp Cheddar.
4 ounces of grated Monterey Jack
4 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, chopped coarsely- I just used some shredded mozzarella that’s extra from making pizza
2 cups broccoli florets- each floret should be chopped to be about 1-inch in size. The original recipe called for 1 1/2 but I wanted more broccoli since I omitted the pancetta to be vegetarian
2 cups coarsely torn sweet Pugliese bread or other crusty bread of your choice – I cut/tore them so they were cubes of about 1 1/2 inches
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives – but instead I used 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, again because I wanted a bit more flavor pop since I was omitting the pancetta to be vegetarian

Ingredients for the Melt recipe of 3 cheese macaroni and cheese casserole w broccoli and sweet pugliese topping

Directions:

Cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, mix in with 1/4 cup of olive oil OR the cooked crispy pancetta/pancetta oil and stir to coat the pasta so they don’t stick together. Place in a greased 13×9 casserole dish.
With the salted boiling water post-pasta, I steamed the broccoli a little bit to soften it. If you are using frozen broccoli florets you can omit this step and just let the broccoli come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To make your cheese sauce, start by heating the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the milk starts to steam and there are small bubbles around the edges – in other words no need to boil it, you are just heating it- turn off the heat.
As soon as the milk is heated, in a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is just melted, stir in the flour and mix until it takes on a light brown color in a few minutes, make sure you keep scraping (I used a silicon spatula) to prevent burning. Slowly add the warmed milk, stirring constantly to prevent burning, for a few minutes. When you dip a spoon in the sauce in progress and lift the spoon out, turn to the back and draw a line with your finger- the sauce should not break that line you drew once it has successfully thickened. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper once you reach this point.
In small handfuls, add all of the cheeses- the cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Mozzarella, and keep stirring until all the cheeses are completely melted and incorporated into the sauce.
In the casserole dish that has your pasta, mix in the broccoli and the sauce. Fold everything together. On top, spread the torn sweet Pugliese bread
Bake for 30 minutes or so until the bread browns and the cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes so you don’t burn your tongue and can enjoy all flavors of this dish. If you’d like, sprinkle generously with chopped fresh chives- in my case I added more freshly ground pepper and my teaspoon of red pepper flakes.

Recipe adapted from Melt, 3 Cheese Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Sweet Pugliese, vegetarian and mac and cheese comforting goodness

And here it is at the end, all gooey and warm. It should be able to serve 4-6.
Recipe adapted from Melt, 3 Cheese Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Sweet Pugliese, vegetarian and mac and cheese comforting goodness

Filed Under: Cooking, Food and Drink Tagged With: Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese, mac and cheese, mac and cheese cookbook, Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese, Vegetable Mac and Cheese, vegetarian

Portland Dining Month- A Visit to Park Kitchen

First Course

Second Course

Third Course

Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe

Portland Penny Diner Russian Pop Up – celebrate Russian Sun Festival

March Portland Dining Month: 3 Courses for $29 + Dinner for 2 Giveaway!

Melt’s 3 Cheese Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Sweet Pugliese

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