I was supposed to teach my friends how to cook... so, after a year, i'm putting it all out there, so we can finally get started
Part of this also comes from showing my friends that making it yourself is actually cheaper than constantly buying packaged goods
This I dragged outta my pantry and fridge: buncha pasta left over, left-over dry salami, my favorite cheddar (which is the only thing I didn't have on hand), and for this I use coconut milk (if you've ready previous postings). You can use whatever milk you usually use, but if it's a milk alternative, make sure it's plain and unsweetened.. I prefer coconut milk cuz its oils makes it very similar to regular milk
First, boil pasta per label instructions
strain and put in casserole dish
I'm using bacon grease in my béchamel, cuz i rarely bother to buy butter anymore
use 2 Tbsp butter and ~1/3 cup flour
With heat on med heat, blend
this is called roux
~1 cup milk of your choice
dice up ~3/4 - 1 lb of sharp cheddar - I use proper cheddar that crumbles... modern cheddar has been designed to melt better, or you can use velveeta, but it's comparatively more expensive anymore... it's better to do this before you need it, cuz once the milk heats up in the pan, it thickens pretty quickly
Add the milk to the roux
whisk the roux with the milk
WATCH OUT! even on medium heat, if you're using regular milk, it will start to bubble really fast when it gets hot!! be ready to turn the heat down when it starts foaming... and if it starts rising too quickly, just pick the pan up gently to immediately remove it from heat
stir frequently until it thickens to the likeness of gravy
and you've got béchamel
toss in your cheddar and stir -
now, if you're using crumbly cheddar, put the heat on really low - if it heats up too much or too fast, it will separate...
modern melty cheddar, low simmer heat is fine - BOTH : stir frequently until it's melted and smooth
I've used anything from ground lamb to diced ham,
chopped deli ham slices, hotdogs, sausage, bacon....
doesn't matter, it's pig and it's going in...
HERE's where you'd add some salt and pepper,
maybe a seasoning blend... i'm not for once
because of the sharpness and saltiness of my
cheddar and the seasoning the salami already has
mix gently... pour 1/2 over noodles and fold...
then the other 1/2 and fold again
this just keeps it from dripping all over
tomatoes normally go on top, but so far, this meal for 6 cost me ~ $5 for just for the cheese, the rest was already sitting around
