This weekend, the Insider got down and cheesy for you, readers, when we visited the inaugural Macaroni and Cheese Bake-Off, put on by New Hampshire's Own and Granite State Dairy Promotion, at the Holiday Inn. Hundreds of cheesy-pasta lovers flocked to the event, which was created to help showcase the state's dairy farmers and the goods they produce.
Dozens of chefs, ranging from novice to pro, brought their dishes for the hungry crowd to sample. Categories ranged from best New Hampshire mac and cheese to best traditional. The winners:
• People's choice category – Nonni's Italian Eatery
• Best restaurant category – Concord Cooperative Market's Celery Stick Cafe
• Best traditional category – New Hampshire's Young Farmers
• Grand champion category – New Hampshire's Young Farmers
• Best creative or exotic – Mike and Barbara Morin
Here are the recipes for a few of our favorites.
Dessert First Mac 'n' Cheese
By Mike Morin, Hooksett
Part 1: Mac 'n' Cheese
6 oz. dried elbow pasta
2 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
2 tablespoons flour
1½ cups whole milk
1½ cups (6 oz.) shredded Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Fontina cheese (Farmer's cheese works, too)
2-3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into small pieces (coat lightly with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown). This is the SECRET ingredient!
1¼ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
E teaspoon cayenne pepper (or nutmeg)
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook macaroni in boiling water according to package.
In a saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat.
When butter has melted, stir in flour to make a roux, whisking constantly for 3 minutes.
Add milk slowly, in a stream, while whisking.
Cook the sauce, whisking, until thickened slightly.
Stir both cheeses into the sauce until thoroughly melted.
Stir Worcestershire and cayenne into sauce until fully combined.
Stir cooked macaroni into sauce.
Add apples and salt and pepper to taste.
Spray baking dish with non-stick spray.
Transfer macaroni and cheese to baking dish, spreading evenly.
Set aside while you prepare your . . .
Part 2: Crumb crisp dessert topping
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
E cup flour
½ stick butter (unsalted), cut into bits
¼ cup chopped walnuts
Mix sugars, spices, salt and flour in a bowl. Add butter to sugar mixture and work it in with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles a course meal, then stir walnuts into sugar mixture.
Spread mixture over the top of the mac 'n' cheese, gently patting it down evenly.
Cover baking dish with foil and bake 30 minutes.
Remove foil and bake 30 minutes.
Remove foil and bake 30 minutes more until topping is light brown.
Prepare to be worshipped for your greatness.
Original Mac 'n' Cheese Recipe
By Jen Lohnes, Concord
1 lb. dry pasta (any shape – suggestion: cavatappi)
1¾ cup Hatchland Farms half and half, pided
2 cups Hatchland Farms whole milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons Cabot butter
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning blend, hand crushed
½ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
E teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 cup Sandwich Creamery Smoked Cheddar
1½ cups Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese
½ lb. local smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled (reserve fat)
½ loaf baguette, cubed
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
4 tablespoons Cabot butter, melted
Dash salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
On a sheet pan combine cubed baguette with melted butter, salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until brown. Pulse in food processor until fine. Combine crumbs, chopped parsley, bacon and reserved bacon fat; set aside.
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5-6 minutes. Drain, set aside.
Melt butter over medium heat, add flour and whisk until well blended. Remove from heat; add 1½ cups of half and half and whisk thoroughly. Return to heat, add milk and whisk to combine.
Turn heat to medium low, add seasonings and cheeses, cook over medium-low for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add final ¼ cup half and half. Toss cheese mixture with pasta.
Evenly spread bread crumb/bacon mixture on top of mac 'n' cheese. Bake for 15 minutes until bubbling and brown. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Spicy Gluten-free Corn and Confetti Peppers Mac and Cheese
By Neelima Gogumalla, Windham
36 oz. mini corn pasta in any shape
1 large Vidalia onion, diced
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 large jalapeno, minced
3 teaspoons ground cumin and coriander pepper
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 large green pepper, diced
1 large red pepper, diced
1 large yellow pepper, diced
1 large orange pepper, diced
2 cups corn
18 oz. Pepper Jack cheese, grated
18 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons finely ground cornmeal
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoons prepared grainy mustard
3 cups milk, warmed
1 cup half and half
1 scant cup chicken stock or water
2 cups small curd cottage cheese or queso fresco
2 eggs beaten
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup coarsely crushed corn chips
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a saute pan.
Add the spice powders and toast 30 seconds until fragrant. Add onion, garlic, peppers, salt and saute until the vegetable are soft. Drain any excess oil.
Add 1 cup of corn and set aside. Prepare the pasta according to package directions, but remove from the flame one minute early, drain and rinse with warm water and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan. Add the cornmeal and garlic powder, and saute until nutty and fragrant. Add the warmed half and half and chicken stock, and bring to simmer until slightly thick.
Take off the flame and cool slightly. Add the beaten eggs, cottage cheese and mustard powder, and combine the sauce.
Mix in the pepper jack cheese and half the cheddar cheese. Add the pasta and the sauteed vegetables, salt and pepper to taste, and pour into a greased baking dish. Pour on the sauce and mix gently.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter and combine with the crushed chips. Spread the remaining cup of corn and 6 oz. cheddar cheese over the top of the pasta, and sprinkle the chips over that and press lightly. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, and remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until chips are slightly brown and toasty.
Scoop and serve with a salad of sliced avocados, sliced yellow and red tomatoes and shredded lettuce.
NH Made Creamy Crab with Swiss and Goat cheese Mac 'n' Cheese
By Neelima Gogumalla, Windham
36 oz. mini penne pasta – any brand
15 large mushrooms, halved and sliced
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves minced fresh garlic
4 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
4 cups Stonyfield Farm whole milk
½ cup dry white wine
24 oz. Stonyfield Farm Greek yogurt
4 oz. Hickory Nut Farm goat cheese crumbled
2 oz. Hickory Nut Farm pepper goat cheese crumbled
12 oz. grated Boggy Meadow Farms baby Swiss
8 oz. grated Boggy Meador Farms smoked baby Swiss
1 can cream of mushroom soup
15 oz. canned crab
1½ cups crushed oyster crackers
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
2 tablespoons softened butter
2 teaspoons dried parsley leaves
1 teaspoon chili powder
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a heavy bottom saute pan with 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil until smoking. Add garlic and mushroom, and saute until brown in batches until soft around the edges. Add the dried crushed pepper and salt and remove from the fire. Remove excess oil and pulse in a food processor until chopped
Cook pasta until al dente, drain and set aside. Add 8 oz. Swiss and smoked Swiss, sauteed mushrooms, pasta and 12 oz. crab, drained and flaked and combine gently. Pour into a buttered dish smooth over the top.
Heat 2 oz. butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute the flour, garlic powder and onion powder, and cook to a nice roux. Add the warm milk, wine and mushroom soup, yogurt and the goat cheeses and bring to a simmer until cheeses melt. Cool. Season to taste. Pour over the pasta and mix gently.
Heat the 2 tablespoons butter with Old Bay and chili powder until fragrant. Cool.
Pour over the crushed crackers, dried parsley, Swiss cheese and the remaining 3 oz. crab. Spread the mixture over the pasta and pop into the oven with a foil tent for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and brown the top for another 10 minutes.
Serve with roasted asparagus, yellow squash and red peppers drizzled with olive oil and sea salt.
Double Stuffed Potato with Macaroni and Cheese
By Matthew Mitnitsky and Marco Seccareccio of Nonni's, Concord
Yields: 4 servings
2 medium russet potatoes, baked at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Set aside to cool.
1 cup elbow macaroni cooked in salted water 6 minutes, cooled down and set aside.
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cup heavy cream
¼ onion
1 clove
1 bay leaf
¼ stick butter
1 tablespoon flour
Sour cream
Cooked bacon
Green onion
Place heavy cream, onion and clove and bay leaf in a heavy sauce pan and simmer for 30 minutes to release flavors.
Make a roux combining equal parts melted butter and flour and cook together slowly for 10-15 minutes.
Strain the cream mixture and slowly whisk it into the cooked roux in a heavy gauge sauce pan. The mixture will thicken. Continue to cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.
Remove from the heat and fold in all the cheeses. As they melt, continue to stir. Season with salt and pepper and taste for preferred flavor.
Add the cayenne pepper and the cooked macaroni to the cream and cheese mixture. The consistency should be thick and heavy. Set aside to cool.
Cut your baking potatoes in half and scoop out the inside of the potato, leaving the skin in tact. Mash the potato filling and fold into the macaroni and cheese mix.
On the bottom of the scooped potato, place a small dollop of sour cream, followed by a piece of cooked bacon and some chopped green onion. Fill the potato with the potato macaroni and cheese filling.
Bake once again in a 300-degree oven for approximately 15 minutes, until golden brown crust has formed.
