Mac and Cheese with Ham Gratin 芝士火腿烤意大利粉

Many years ago, my BFF Shirley and I frequent this Japanese Restaurant at Scotts Isetan very often after work. I always order their Macaroni with Teriyaki Chicken Gratin. (I'm a boring person).

It's different from the American's Mac & Cheese, which is basically Macaroni with Cheese Sauce, if I'm not mistaken. This Japanese Macaroni Gratin, is not as thick or over loaded Cheese Sauce. It's more like a cream sauce with Cheese in it and the top is baked with golden Parmesan Cheese. It could be other Cheese though but I'm sure it's not breadcrumbs that gives it the colour. ;) And it goes really well with the succulent Teriyaki Chicken, which I shall add on the next time I improve on this dish. :)

The restaurant has closed years ago and we haven't found any Macaroni and Cheese Gratin quite close to theirs. As much as I tried my best to replicate the dish, I too didn't come close to it.

Well, if you would like to try making your own Mac & Cheese Gratin instead of buying the instant ones from the supermarkets, you might like to try my recipe. At least, it helps clears out Cheese scraps for mommies who are into making bentos for their kids.

Ingredients (for 1 portion only):

• 60g Macaroni or Assorted Pasta
• 50g Chopped Ham
• 1-2 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese

Sauce:

• 15g Butter
• 100ml Cooking Cream
• 120ml Water
• 1 tablespoon All Purpose Flour
• 2 slices Cheddar Cheese
• 1 slice Regular Cheese

How to do it:

1. Cook macaroni in salted water according to the package or till just done.
2. Pour them in a oven proof dish and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a pan on low heat. Butter should not be burning.
4. Gradually add in the flour and whisk till smooth.
5. Turn up the heat to medium low and gradually add in the cooking cream while whisking.
6. Repeat the same for the water.
7. Add in the ham.
8. Melt the cheese in the sauce till all has blend in.
9. Pour the sauce over the cooked macaroni. Mix them if you like.
10. Top it with Parmesan Cheese.
11. Baked in a preheated oven at 220c for 10 mins.
12. Serve hot.

Notes:

• Do not cook the roux (butter with flour) in high heat as it will burn and the roux will turn dark.
• The amount of water add depends on how thick you want the sauce to be. Hence, add gradually and stop adding if you think the sauce is thin enough for you.
• I recommend you use 2 slices of cheddar cheese with 1 slice of regular or mozzarella. You can have any combination you like.
• For those who do not have an oven, you may serve it after step 10, with salt and ground pepper to taste, if you like.

Broccoli and Pasta with Cheese Sauce

This is one dish I have experiment for a few times and only got it right (according to my taste) on my 4th try. To be exact, it was the cheese sauce that I was working on.

If anyone of you had been to Long John Slivers, you will know the Cheese sauce that comes with the chips. I was trying my luck to do that. No, I didn't achieve that but I'm still trying BUT this is not too bad either *thick-skin*.

In the first place, the cheese I used is not the correct one. I used Kraft Cheddar but the LJS's cheese tasted more like La vache qui rit (laughing cow) Cheddar cheese.

Nevertheless, this goes well with the broccoli I love so much. I cooked some pasta too and it's a meal for me already.

Ingredients:

• Pasta, cooked according to package
• Broccoli, cut into florets and blanched with 1/2 tablespoon cooking oil

Cheese Sauce: (about 3 servings)

• 50g Butter
• 80g Cheese, shredded (I used Kraft (block) Cheddar)
• 150ml Milk (I used fresh milk)
• 2 tablespoon Flour

How to do it:

• Set cooked pasta and blanched broccoli aside.
• In a pot, melt the butter on low heat.
• Gradually add in the flour while whisking.
• Once the flour is while blended into the butter, whisk in the milk gradually.
• Bring to a boil.
• Whisk in the cheese till it melts.
• Add the desirable amount of cheese sauce to the pasta and broccoli.
• Toss and serve with additional Parmesan Cheese.

Note: If you find the sauce too thick to your liking, add in more milk.

Macaroni in Chicken Soup

We had an unexpected guest today and we were chatting and chatting ... and the kids were playing and playing ... They didn't take their afternoon nap until much later. By the time I settled the kids, it was already close to 5pm. So it's macaroni today.

Luckily, I still have my homemade broth meant to make my daughter's porridge. Macaroni is simple yet still yummy. It's not that bad lah, really, because of the broth lah.

I wokked Alphabet Macaroni, the only macaroni my kids eat, with chicken broth and I added carrot, fish cake and chopped Cai Xin.