Stovetop Mac and Cheese

My partner got back from Thailand, pretty sick. Cooking anything almost seemed like a waste. I can eat anything and he could eat nothing. I felt sad for him and just wanted to make something he could eat irrespective of nutritional content. After the fondue party, there was so much stuff in my refrigerator and pantry – blanched broccoli, chicken sausage, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, pineapple, strawberries, marshmallow, wafers, croutons, loaves of bread, opened white wine. I had tons of pasta in my pantry and some pre grated cheese (gasp, horrors of horrors). This was looking like mac and cheese, albeit a version closer to the blue box than Martha Stewart’s version. I knew I could definitely use the cherry tomatoes; I was iffy about the broccoli. At this stage it was like – Just eat anything so you don’t get sicker, greens be damned! I couldn’t argue with a sick fussy eater about broccoli.

I think you could populate a whole book with various versions of mac and cheese. My earlier version is a baked version, which s therefore a little drier, with a panko bread topping. This version is a quick easy version, no cheese to grate, no ovens to pre heat, no bread topping. This is simpler, quicker, and creamier. I had some sausages leftover from the fondue party, so I just threw them in the mix. And I am proud to say that it gives great competition to the blue box.


1 onion finely chopped
1 tspn Dijon mustard
Less than ¼ cup flour
3 cups milk
2 cups pre grated Italian cheese blend
¼ cup grated parmesan (optional)
½ pound macaroni
½ tspn cayenne pepper
Black pepper
10 cherry tomatoes – halved
2 tbspn butter
Olive oil
Nutmeg

1. Heat the milk.
2. Boil pasta water with salt. I like to salt the water till it is “as salty as the sea” as the Italians say. The pasta should be boiled for 7 minutes.
3. Heat the butter. I add some olive oil so that the butter does not melt.
4. Sauté the onions till they are translucent.
5. Add the flour and sauté till it turns blonde.
6. Add mustard and cayenne pepper.
7. Add milk, little at a time, till it is fully incorporated.
8. When the sauce looks and smells perfect, add the cheese.
9. Turn off the flame. Add the pasta and cherry tomatoes. Add black pepper and nutmeg.
10. I added sausages.