Crazy Mac'n'Cheese

The last thing I put back in my diet after recovering from food poisoning was dairy.  I always planned to do this dish with the remaining scraps after the cheese platter.  It merely got delayed a week.

The "crazy" part of this is using several distinctive cheeses together.  Bleu cheese and smoked gouda are each strong.  If you're going to mix cheeses, you need to balance them until you get what you want.  This had more gouda than bleu cheese, and the brie and mascarpone mellowed them out.  If cheddar is more your thing, make it a significant portion of the mix.

The onion and radish in the sauce are introduced to make the cheese a little less all-encompassing.  Even the biggest cheese lover can admit that straight cheese can be overwhelming.

The apple is there because I wasn't quite ready for raw veggies yet, but could manage fruits.  I actually ended up stacking the apple with pieces of farfalle in a single bite.  It was good.

*2 C farfalle or elbow macaroni
*1/2 lb assorted cheeses, some soft and others hard
2 Tb olive oil
*1/2 C diced green onion
*1 C diced radish (or red onion)
1 Tb flour
salt and pepper to taste
*1 C milk, more to taste

1.  Start a pot of water boiling for the pasta

2.  Put all the cheeses together in the food processor.  If you don't have a cream cheese, put in at least 1/4 C Greek yogurt or sour cream.  Pulse into a chunky paste.  It's all going to melt later.  I'm just getting you out of having to grate anything.

3.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add radishes and onions and cook until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.  By now your pot should be boiling and you can start cooking the pasta.

4.  Add flour and toss until the veggies are pasty.  Add milk slowly and allow to thicken.  Add cheese and stir into cream base.  Once it melts, you can decide if you want to thin out the sauce with more milk.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

5.  Drain finished pasta and add to skillet.  Stir to coat and return to a simmer.  Serve hot.

Difficulty rating  :)