Overview
Icon's Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese with Molten Cheese Sauce Yield: 4 to 6 servings Prep Time: 40 minutes Cook Time: 50 minutes Difficulty: Easy 1 pound dry macaroni 3/4 pound (12 ounces) grated sharp yellow cheddar 1/2 pound (8 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese 1/2 pound (8 ounces) grated extra sharp white cheddar 4 roma tomatoes, diced fine 24 (1-inch) cubes Velveeta cheese Macaroni and Cheese Sauce Base: 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) unsalted butter 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour 1 cup whole milk 2 cups chicken broth 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 pinch dry mustard 1 splash hot pepper sauce (tabasco) - optional Salt and pepper Topping: 1 cup fresh bread crumbs (either buy them or remove the crust off of some old bread and shop fine in a food processor) 1/4 pound (4 ounces) finely grated Parmesan 1 tablespoon seasoning salt Molten Cheese Sauce: 8 (1-inch) cubes velveeta cheese 1/4 pound (4 ounce) sharp yellow cheddar For the Macaroni and Cheese Sauce Base: Melt butter in a 4-quart saucepot over medium high heat. Add flour and mix until flour is incorporated into butter. Cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Add milk and chicken broth and continue to cook until sauce is thick and bubbly, stirring constantly 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and season with mustard, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Allow to cool before using. For the Topping: Mix all ingredients in a bowl and set aside. For the Molten Cheese Sauce: Take about 1/2 cup of the sauce base and warm over a medium burner in a small saucepan. When warm, add cheese and cook until melted. Season as necessary. To make the Macaroni and Cheese: Cook macaroni in salted water, drain and rinse with cold water. Place the yellow cheddar, Gruyere, white cheddar, tomatoes, and pasteurized prepared cheese product in a large mixing bowl. Add 3/4 of the macaroni and cheese sauce base or about 2 1/2 cups, and mix thoroughly. Place the mix evenly into 4 small casserole dishes or 1 large serving plate. Sprinkle with topping and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven until hot and bubbly around the edges and nicely browned on top. About 30 minutes for smaller dishes, 45-50 minutes for the large dish. Make sure to serve lots of molten cheese sauce.