Comfort food. Apples. Cheese. Pasta. Hard cider. All things I love and all that scream fall. Now would you necessarily think of combining all of these ingredients? Maybe not at first. But what if I were to tell you that this hard cider mac and cheese is life changing? Chalk full of onions, apple chunks, tons of cheese and pasta. Would you be intrigued?
For you skeptics out there, you’re not alone. Spencer had to give me a double take when I first mentioned wanting to place this recipe on the meal plan. I guess more than anything it was the apples in the mac and cheese that really threw him for a loop. But after he thought about it for a minute, he looked at me and said “sounds interesting, but apples and cheese go together so this sounds like it will work too”! So with that, I officially added it to our menu and couldn’t wait to actually make the dish.
Macaroni and Cheese: Apple Lover’s Style
Ingredients:
1 (16oz) box of small cut pasta
1 Cup Hard Cider (I’ve used Angry Orchard and Woodchuck)
1 Cup heavy cream
4 Tbsp butter, divided
3 Tbsp flour, whole wheat or all-purpose
2 Granny Smith apples; peeled, cored and diced
1 White onion, diced
20-24 Oz Cabot sharp white cheddar
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water liberally, add pasta and cook according to package directions.
Place a large sauce pan over medium-low heat and 3 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter has melted add the diced onions and apples and saute until onions become translucent, about 5-10 minutes. While stirring continuously, add the flour and continue stirring until apples and onions are well coated. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and stir until melted. While continuously whisking, slowly pour the cider and cream into the apple mixture. Once incorporated, increase heat slightly and allow the mixture to come to a boil.
Add 15 ounces of the shredded cheese and stir until melted and the mixture is smooth.
Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta that has been cooked and strained and stir to coat the pasta. Rub the bottom of a large baking dish (or two small) with butter. Add the pasta to the prepared dish. Top with 5-6 ounces of cheese.
Place in preheated oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted and slightly browned and sides are bubbly.
Recipe source: adapted from Bakeaholic Mama
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