Morel Mac & Cheese

Jolly Pumpkin Dried Morel Mac & Cheese

Jolly Pumpkin made this morel mac & cheese for the 2010 Great Mac 'n Cheese Bake-Off. It won the People's Choice Award.

Get all four award-winning mac & cheese recipes.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium shallot diced small
  • 2 ounces sweet butter
  • 2 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 26 ounces vitamin D milk
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 3 ounces white cheddar grated
  • 2 ounces mascarpone cheese
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus 1 teaspoon
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
  • Dash Tabasco sauce
  • 2 tablespoons cooking sherry
  • 3 cups shitake mushrooms (sautéed will yield about 1 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon ground dried morels
  • 2 ounces white truffle oil
  • 1 pound pasta, (elbow macaroni, penne, etc) cooked and drained
  • 3 ounces good Parmesan (reggiano or grana padano)
  • 2–3 ounces panko breadcrumbs

Directions

Sweat shallots in butter 2 minutes. Add flour and cook over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, to make roux. Add milk and whisk together, cook over low heat 5 minutes. Stir in first three cheeses until smooth, add all ingredients except Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Toss cooked pasta with cheese sauce and pour into eight bowls. Sprinkle Parmesan and breadcrumbs over pasta mixture and bake in 350-degree oven until golden brown about 5 minutes.

Photo(s) by Todd Zawistowski