Mac ‘n Cheese ‘n Burger
Ingredients
- Salt
- 1 pound cavatappi (hollow corkscrew pasta) or penne
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 pound ground sirloin
- 3-4 tablespoons grated onion and its juice
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it)
- Salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock
- 2 cups whole milk
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles, for garnish (optional)
- 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
Heat a pot of water to boil for pasta. Add the salt and cook the pasta to al dente.
While the pasta works, heat a nonstick skillet with 1 tablespoon of EVOO, once around the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown, breaking it up into bite-size pieces. Add a little grated onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to the skillet to season with the meat.
While the meat browns, heat a saucepot over medium to medium-high heat. Add butter and, when it melts, whisk in the flour, cook it a minute, then whisk in the stock and milk and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a bubble, then thicken it up a few minutes. Stir the mustard into sauce, then melt the cheese in a few handfuls at a time, stirring in the cheese in a figure-eight motion. Adjust salt and pepper, to taste.
Drain the pasta, add it back to hot pasta pot and add the beef and cheese sauce to it. Stir to combine the mac ‘n cheese ‘n burger, adjust the seasoning and serve in shallow bowls with chopped pickles and tomatoes for garnish, if you’d like.
