Who doesn’t like a good mac & cheese? I love mac & cheese, but sometimes it can become a little boring always having the same plain pasta and cheese dish; because I like playing around have come up with many variations, and they all have been a hit. In this case, I used venison to step it up a notch, but you can always use any type of ground meat you prefer, even ground turkey or sausage. This is a recipe for a super cheesy mac & cheese, one of those with a good cheese pull when serving, not runny, but extra cheesy. It is convenient to include the protein in the pasta because you spare some work. You can prep this all together ahead of time, even the day before; you just need to cook and pour it into the baking dish, cover it with plastic film, and store it in the fridge for the next day; then, you only need to top with more cheese/breadcrumbs if you wish, bake and serve. You get to have a restaurant-quality meal without the hassle (at the time).
This cheesy sauce made from scratch is scrumptiously delicious, and no heavy cream is needed, only a few staples like butter, milk, cheese, and flour which most of us have around. Freshly grated cheese is always recommended because most shredded cheese has additives to prevent clumping which means it won’t help your sauce bind as it should; does not mean you can’t use it, it just works better when it’s fresh. If you can’t shred the cheese yourself then by all means use it shredded. This sauce doesn’t lack any thickness, even if it seems crazy, because it is made with the starchy magic of pasta water, and it is thick enough to hold the shape when you serve it without adding any egg. Trust the process.
Venison might not be accessible for everyone for location reasons, but it is a good addition if you can find it. It is an excellent protein to add to this dish since venison is super lean and has a more robust meaty flavor than beef. Even though we will be using plenty of fat in this recipe, lean meat is a good option, so you don’t end up with an excessively greasy dish that is unpleasant and extra heavy for your digestion.
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This dish was born because I was craving mac & cheese, couldn’t decide on the protein, and happened to have some ground venison leftover from burgers the day before and tons of cheese, so it made a perfect mashup. This is a straightforward but delicious dish, and an excellent subtle introduction to a different kind of protein if you don’t dare to try it by itself like in a burger. Venison will definitely take it to the next level; this is not your average mac & cheese with ground beef. I used small shell pasta, but you could switch to any small pasta like elbows, penne, or even turn it into another dish using linguine or bucatini.
Ingredients:
10 oz of whole milk
5 tbsp butter or infused butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 pound of venison ground meat
2 tbsp sofrito
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 box of small pasta (here, I used small shells, but you could use penne, elbows, etc.)
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sweet or smoked paprika
2 cups of pasta water
salt & pepper
Method:
Season the ground meat with garlic and onion powder, salt, and pepper. Heat a pan in medium heat and throw in the meat and the sofrito. Cook until done; it is ok to have some liquid, do not discard it, let the meat rest out of the heat while making the sauce.
Boil the pasta in salty water following the instructions on the package, only for half of the time. Usually is suggested to salt the water until similar to seawater, but this time you will need less salt because you will not discard that water; you will need 2 cups of that starchy water for the sauce.
In a medium saucepan on medium heat, melt the butter and throw in the flour, do not stop stirring until it starts turning a golden color. Once it bubbles and cooks for a few minutes, lower the heat to LOW and pour the milk slowly while stirring, you want to incorporate the liquid in the roux until homogenous. Using the same method, gradually add the pasta water. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the shredded cheddar and the cooked meat and its liquid, mix well and cook for 2 more minutes.
Pour everything in a greased pan. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.
The author shall not be liable for any damage or injury alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, by the information provided here. Neither is responsible for any allergic reaction or adverse reaction to any ingredient (including infusions). No legal, nutritional, or medical advice is intended with this information, and under no circumstances should any infused product be given to children without professional medical guidance.