Truffle Mac & Cheese

Sometimes I like to spoil myself and splurge on things that I probably shouldn't be spending money on but I do anyway. Some of these things are usually fancy food items, take for example this Truff Hot Sauce. It is a black truffle infused hot sauce, at a price of $18 dollars for a small bottle I thought to myself this better be worth it. Now here is my honest review, the sauce is good. It has a smoky flavor with a subtle sweetness, a nice heat from the peppers and just the right amount of funk from the truffles. Do I think it was worth the $18 dollars? eh, maybe. Will I be buying it again? Probably not. It's a good sauce that should be used sparingly on food so it should last you a while but I cannot justify spending $18 dollars on hot sauce when I can easily spend $3 dollars on Valentina or Tapatio.

So with new sauce in hand I wanted to put it to good use and have it elevate my mac & cheese game. I decided I was going to use it on my Truffle Mac & Cheese recipe. Sometimes I can be a little bourgeois with my food like with macaroni and cheese. I'm sure we all recall that blue Kraft box with the powder cheese and there is a bit of nostalgia attached to it but I will say I would never go back to eating that, especially not when I can have a delicious homemade version. I like to jazz mine up with a bit of black truffle oil just to give it that extra "oomph." Truffle oil is one of those ingredients that you have to be careful with because a little too much of it can completely ruin the dish. Granted, I would still probably eat it because truffle oil is also pricey and I am not about to waste it but I guess if you're ok with throwing food away by all means go overboard.

I start by boiling a medium pot of water and heavily salting it. As Gordon Ramsay would often yell at me "it has be as salty as the ocean!" Salting the water obviously helps the pasta absorb some of that flavor so you don't end up with wet bland noodles. Once your water comes to a rolling boil add about 1 cup and a half of elbow noodles. Lower the temperature to medium and let the pasta cook for about 8-9 minutes or until al dente. Strain the pasta and set aside.

Meanwhile, using a cheese grater grate about 1 cup and a half of white and yellow cheddar, separated. You want to use fresh grated cheese instead of the prepackaged kind because typically that type of cheese is covered in corn starch or some other food additive that is used to prevent the shreds from sticking to one another. And besides, there's just something more satisfying about knowing that you made this whole dish from scratch.

Return the pot to medium heat and melt 2 tbsp of butter and 1 tsp of black truffle oil. Once the butter has melted start whisking in 2 tbsp of flour until nice and bubbly. If you want to get technical this is called a "roux," making a roux is a great way to start any sauce that you want to thicken up. It's a perfect way to make a gravy or bechamel and in this case a cheese sauce. Being careful not splash all over the place slowly start adding 1 cup of warm milk. Keep on stirring and use those muscles to make sure you don't have any clumps of flour left. Eventually your milk mixture is going to thicken up a little and that is when it is time to add the additional ingredients. Spoon in about 1tsp of dijon mustard, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, and a pinch of cracked black pepper. Give it a good stir. Now slowly start adding 1 cup of the shredded cheese, reserving the other 1/2 cup for topping later. Once the cheese has melted and the sauce looks smooth and creamy, spoon in 1tsp of the Truff hot sauce.

Remove the pot from the heat and return your pasta into the cheese sauce and stir until every noodle is covered in sauce. Taste and season it with additional salt if needed.

Separate it into 4 ramekins and sprinkle the leftover 1/2 cup of shredded cheese on top. Move the oven rack to the top of your oven. Then set it to high broil. Place your ramekins on a baking sheet and broil the tops for a couple of minutes, keep an eye on it because you want to get that nice melty finish with maybe a little bit of browning but not too long otherwise you'll burn it.

Serve it and smother it with more Truff sauce if you want an extra kick.

Bon appetit!

Truffle Mac & Cheese

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups elbow pasta

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp black truffle oil

2 tbsp flour

1 cup warm milk

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp garlic powder

pinch cracked black pepper

1 cup shredded yellow and white cheddar + 1/2 cup

1 tsp Truff Hot Sauce

salt to taste

Set oven to broil (525F) on high.

Bring a medium pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil.

Cook elbow pasta for 8-9 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Over medium heat melt 2 tbsp butter and 1 tsp black truffle oil.

Whisk in 2 tbsp of flour until it begins to foam.

Slowly pour while whisking 1 cup of warm milk.

Continue to whisk until mixture begins to thicken.

Add in 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/4 tsp garlic powder and a pinch of cracked black pepper. Stir until well incorporated.

Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese until melted and creamy.

Stir in 1 tsp Truff Hot Sauce.

Remove from heat and return pasta into sauce mixing until noodles are coated.

Separate into 4 ramekins and place under broiler. Broil for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Drizzle with additional Truff Hot Sauce if desired.