Harney Lane Winery's Yankee Doodle Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Luscious and creamy, this three-cheese macaroni casserole is livened with a bit of mustard.

Servings: 8–12

Cook Time: 1 1/4 hours

Pair With: Serve with a fruit-forward red wine, like the estate 2009 Harney Lane Winery Tempranillo

Source: Recipe and photo courtesy Harney Lane Winery.

INGREDIENTS

1 package large elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, in two parts
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups hot (not boiling) milk
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon dry mustard
 14 ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded, in two parts
6 ounces Gouda cheese, in two parts
5 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola, in two parts
1 cup of dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 clove finely chopped garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salt water until al dente. Drain and then set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a heavy non-stick saucepan and sprinkle with the flour. Cook for a minute or two, then stir with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the milk all at once, along with the bay leaf. Cook over medium high heat stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes. If there are any lumps, whisk mixture with a wire whisk. Remove the bay leaf and take off stove.  Season with paprika and dry mustard.

In a small bowl, reserve 3 ounces of the Cheddar, 3 ounces of the Gouda and 3 ounces of the Parmesan. Toss together. Stir the remaining Cheddar, Gouda and Gorgonzola into the flour and milk mixture and set aside.

In a small fry pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and combine with the breadcrumbs. Turn off heat. In the bottom of a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with 3-4 inch sides, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the reserved cheese. Add the onion and garlic to the cheese sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Layer a third of the macaroni in the baking dish and top with a third of the cheese sauce. Repeat this step two more times, ending with the cheese sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheeses then with the Parmesan cheese or Pecorino cheese and finally with the breadcrumbs. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is crispy or browned in spots.

Recipe Courtesy Of

Harney Lane Winery

For more than one hundred years, the George Mettler family has farmed Harney Lane, a 100-acre parcel of land just east of Lodi. But it wasn’t until 2006 that they decided to venture into winemaking.