crispy crunchy mac and cheese for cats for people

or: stovetop mac and cheese for stovetop mac and cheese haters

here is a lightly updated version of a recipe posted on my blog in 2018. you can read the story behind the name here, but it’s something about how this recipe was inspired by my sister and i when we were little, and we would imagine having pet cats even though we literally already had pet cats, and then would imagine feeding mac and cheese to the imaginary cats ???? wouldn’t recommend feeding this to your cats.

this is a stovetop mac for people who don’t like stovetop mac. for people who don’t like things too artifical and creamy and resembling kraft. you fry the noodles and cheese in butter to make up for the loss of the brown and crispy breadcrumb topping found on most baked mac and cheeses. but without the 30 minute cook time plus 10 minute “let cool before serving” direction that you know you’re not gonna follow. and yes there are vegetables blended into the sauce. this lightens and brightens it up and makes it unrecognizable from an orange powder found in a box. and makes your house smell slightly light thanksgiving. enjoy!

crispy, crunchy stovetop mac and cheese

ingredients:

for the sauce (adapted from vegetarian for a new generation by liana krissoff):

1 tsbp unsalted butter

4 ribs celery, finely diced

1 medium onion, finely diced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated parmesan or asiago or a mix

2 tsp dijon mustard

for the mac and cheese:

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lb macaroni, cooked al dente according to package

one 8 oz block sharp cheddar, grated (about 1 cup)

freshly ground black pepper for serving

instructions:

to make the sauce:

in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. add the celery, onion, thyme, a pinch of salt, and several grindings of pepper. cook, stirring occasionally, until the celery is very soft but not browned, 12 to 15 minutes.

add the wine and cook until it’s mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes. add the cream and another pinch of salt. bring the mixture to a simmer, then remove the pan from heat and stir in the parmesan and dijon. transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. taste for salt and pepper and adjust. (you can use an immersion blender but you might not get as smooth a consistency).

to make the mac and cheese:

melt the butter in a large NONSTICK skillet over medium heat. add the pasta and stir to coat with the butter. add in the garlic and stir, then let the pasta cook without stirring until the noodles begin to get crispy and brown. stir after several minutes and repeat until approximately half the noodles have become brown and crispy on at least one side. add in the cheddar, stir and let cook until the cheese is crispy. remove pan from heat.

if needed, re-heat the blended sauce in a saucepan. pour over the macaroni, stir, and serve immediately topped with black pepper to taste.

special secret playlist for you if you made it this far: