Recipe - Mac and Cheese

To begin, this is not the old blue-box Mac and Cheese. It takes a while to make, uses damn near every pan in a normal kitchen, and is brutal to clean up after. It also costs more than the GDP of some third-world countries.

It is, however, worth it.

Without further ado...

INGREDIENTS:
2 Lbs. Pasta of Choice (I normally use Large Shells)
8 oz. Can Evaporated Milk – Not sweetened
2 Ham Steaks –diced small, more or less to taste
1 Onion – diced small, more or less to taste
12-16 oz Little Broccoli Florettes
Cheese – Lots of Cheese, Including:
-- Shredded Sharp Cheddar – 4-6 oz.
-- Shredded Gruyere – 2-3 oz.
-- Shredded Mozzarella – 4-6 oz.
-- Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano – 2-4 oz.
-- Shredded Swiss – 0-2 oz.
-- Shredded Colby – 2-4 oz.
-- Shredded Monterey Jack – 2-4 oz.
1 Large Egg - Beaten
Bottle Dry White Wine (Like a nice Chardonnay)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste.

PREPARATION:
In the sauté pan, combine the evaporated milk, the salt, pepper, most of the cheese (see below) and the egg, and begin to cook over very low heat. Whisk occasionally to ensure the cheese melts cleanly and smoothly.

Begin heating enough water to cook the 2 lbs. of pasta. Salt the water when it gets hot.

Add the oil to the skillet, and over medium-high heat, caramelize the onions.

Once a light brown, put them in the sauté pan with the cheese mixture.

Add a bit more oil to the skillet, and brown the ham pieces. Once browned, add to the cheese mixture.

Deglaze the skillet with roughly ¼ cup of the wine. Reduce to half its original volume. Once reduced, add the wine to the cheese mixture

When the pasta is about halfway done, add the broccoli to the water with the pasta.

Finish cooking the pasta to a slightly firm al dente texture, and drain.

In the stockpot, combine the fully melted cheese mixture with the pasta and broccoli.

Spatula the pasta/cheese mixture into the large casserole dish. Top with the rest of the cheese.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes

Switch to the broiler, and broil until the top gets a nice, brown crunch to it. Don’t over-broil, as few things in life taste worse than burned cheese.

YOU’RE GOING TO NEED:
A stainless (NOT non-stick!) skillet
A large casserole dish
A large sauté pan
A large stock pot

SERVES:
An army. Seriously, this is a LOT of food.