Macaroni and Three Cheeses with Roasted Tomatoes, Sauteed Green Beans and Mushrooms

Macaroni and Three Cheeses with Roasted Tomatoes, Sauteed Green Beans and Mushrooms

***Susan's Note: I love love love this recipe. My whole family enjoyed it. Only change was I used whole grain Italian style breadcrumbs from a can, and half whole milk and half skim milk. YUM! Make sure you get the tomatoes ready first. I made the apple cake above for dessert, as recommended. For the green beans, I skipped the boiling steps 1 & 2 - I used two bags of Wegmans prepackaged cleaned and cut green beans and microwaved them for 6 min.


Macaroni and Three Cheeses

This luxurious macaroni and cheese keeps unbaked in the refrigerator for up to a day; in the oven, it turns piping hot and creamy inside, and golden brown on top in less than an hour. Substitute your favorite melting cheeses (mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and fontina are great options), or vary the proportions of the ones listed here.

Prep: 25 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Ingredients

Serves 8

* 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 1 pound medium pasta shells
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
* 4 cups whole milk
* 4 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (1 cup)
* 4 ounces Havarti cheese, coarsely grated (1 cup)
* 4 ounces Muenster cheese, coarsely grated (1 cup)
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 6 slices white sandwich bread

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Butter a shallow 4-quart baking dish (oval or 9-by-13-inch rectangle); set aside.
2. Generously salt boiling water; add pasta. Cook, according to package instructions, until 2 minutes short of al dente. Drain pasta, and return to pot.
3. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium. Transfer 2 tablespoons melted butter to a small bowl; set aside for topping. Add flour and mustard powder to remaining butter in saucepan. Cook, whisking, 1 minute (do not let flour darken). Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until sauce is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Remove sauce from heat. Gradually whisk in cheeses; add Worcestershire sauce, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add sauce to pasta, and toss to combine; transfer to prepared baking dish.
5. Place bread in food processor; pulse until very coarse crumbs form (you should have about 3 cups). Add reserved melted butter, and pulse just to moisten. Scatter crumbs over pasta in baking dish. (If making ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.)
6. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. (If refrigerated, bake for 30 to 35 minutes.) Cool 5 minutes before serving.


Garlic-Roasted Tomatoes

Serves 8

* 4 large beefsteak tomatoes (about 3 pounds), cored and halved crosswise
* 2 tablespoons butter, cut into 8 thin slices
* 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
* coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. Place tomato halves, cut side up, on a large rimmed baking sheet. Dividing evenly, top with butter and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Bake tomatoes until tender, 40 to 45 minutes, in a 400 degree preheated oven.



Sauteed Green Beans and Mushrooms
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Ingredients

Serves 8

* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 2 pounds green beans (stem ends removed), halved crosswise
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1 pound button mushrooms, stems trimmed, halved
* 2 shallots, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings

Directions

1. Fill a large skillet with 1/2 inch water; bring to a boil, and salt generously. Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
2. Add green beans to skillet; cover, and steam until crisp-tender, 5 to 10 minutes (time will depend on size and freshness of green beans). Transfer to ice water to cool; drain and pat dry (if making ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day). Wipe skillet dry.
3. In same skillet, heat butter over medium-high. Add mushrooms and shallots; season with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms release their liquid, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover, and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until browned, 8 to 12 minutes more.
4. Add green beans; cook just to heat through, 1 to 2 minutes.