This post is sponsored by Florida Dairy Farmers in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are my own.
Langostino are the perfect compliment to this mac and cheese dish. The saltiness of the bacon and creaminess of the pasta plays perfectly against the buttery seafood.
This week, I am partnering with Florida Milk to talk a bit about what they do as a part of my post. I happen to be a fan of farmers. I grew up surrounded by family farms, so I have an appreciation for them. I am also acutely aware that without them, food would be scarce to say the least.
When I moved to Florida a few years ago, I, like most people, really only thought of beaches or theme parks and not much else. But, did you know there are more than 130 dairy farms here and most of those farms are primarily owned and operated by second and third-generation farming families. They are hardworking men and women who care for their cows and the land, and they are leaders in their communities. Meet some of Florida’s Dairy Farmers here!
I’m celebrating “Dairy Month” with one of my all-time favorite foods: Macaroni and Cheese. It has long been one of my comfort foods. Mac & cheese has been around for hundreds of years, so I’m sure it has been a comfort food for many. When I was a teenager, it was my favorite after school snack. You know the one – the box with the shockingly orange powdered cheese. I hadn’t yet learned how to make mac & cheese from scratch, so to my untrained palate it was gastronomic bliss! I have since learned the delights of real macaroni and cheese. Thankyouverymuch.
LANGOSTINO LOVE
While I still enjoy plain macaroni and cheese (probably more than I should), I wanted to “fancy it up” a bit and add in sweet langostino with a handful of crispy bacon. (Langostino look like tiny lobsters, but are actually more closely related to certain species of crab.) Normally, I use extra-sharp cheddar in my mac & cheese because I like the pronounced cheesiness. However, when paired with the delicate flavor of langostinos, the cheese should complement and not overpower them so I went with a mellow cheddar. Feel free to add in other cheeses. Play around with the recipe, swap out one for another, try different combinations… just make sure you keep the same quantity. Cooking should be fun and creative, recipes like this are a perfect place to start experimenting.
Mac & Cheese is perfection. Pasta mixed with a creamy cheese sauce, topped with a layer of (even more) cheese & breadcrumbs and baked. It’s so simple and satisfying.
Enough talk, let’s get cooking…
- 1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked according to package instructions
- 5 TB. unsalted butter
- 4 TB. AP flour
- 2 C. whole milk
- 1 C. Half & Half
- 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese + 1/2 cup for sprinkling on top
- 1 1/2 C. langostinos, cooked
- 1 C. cooked bacon, chopped
- 2 TB. chives, chopped
- 1/4 C. seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 TB butter, melted
- Preheat oven to 375
- In a small pot, combine milk and half & half. Heat until warm, cover and set aside.
- In a medium pot, melt butter over low heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Turn heat up to medium and whisk roux for 2 -3 minutes. Add milk mixture and whisk to combine. Using a rubber spatula, go around the edges of your pan to make sure all of the flour gets incorporated.
- Continue whisking frequently until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Add dry mustard, salt, pepper and 2 cups cheddar. Stir continuously until smooth and uniform.
- Spray or butter 9x13 baking dish, set aside. In a large bowl, combine: cooked macaroni, cheese sauce, bacon, langostinos and chives. Stir to combine.
- Pour into glass baking dish. Stir together 1 TB melted butter, breadcumbs and remaining cheddar. Sprinkle over macaroni and bake for approximately 20 minutes, until bubbly and browned on top. Remove from oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Langostinos are most often sold frozen, already cooked.
Pin it to your Pasta board!
