I thought I had my mac and cheese recipe perfected. With a combination of five cheeses for ideal flavor and texture, it really is the mac to end all macs.
And then I went and added caramelized fennel… and my life will never the same.
Seriously though, it’s that good.
My plan is to make this for my dad the next time he’s in town. He always orders mac ‘n cheese whenever we go out, and let’s just say his macaroni palette is very discerning. A good mac and cheese will delight him to no end, and a bad one, well, let’s not talk about those.
And even though he’s not a vegetable guy, I’m confident he’d this mac ‘n cheese would fulfill his expectations (and then some).
I’ve always loved fennel, with its subtle sweetness and licorice undertones. Caramelizing the fennel just takes it to another level entirely, much like onions (and caramelized onions are the closest comparison I can come up with here). It’s downright sweet, if you can believe it. Once I saw how it could turn ho-hum stuffing into something truly remarkable, my brain started spinning, thinking of what else I could put it in… and mac ‘n cheese seemed like the next logical step.
We caramelize the fennel in the oven, where you can basically forget about it for the duration of the cook time. So much easier than standing and stirring it on the stovetop until it caramelizes. Also, with such a large quantity of fennel as required for this recipe, you’d either need a really big pan or some serious patience for it to fully caramelize, which is why the oven a perfect alternative. That time is better spent grating cheese and getting the pasta started.
Unlike my five cheese mac and cheese recipe, this one only has four cheeses. No Camembert this time, since the fennel does more than enough to take the flavor over the top. But like before, the combination of cheeses is the key to perfect macaroni and cheese: cheddar (I like using a mild white cheddar) and gruyere as the foundation cheeses, with some pecornio for saltiness and depth and white American cheese for texture and stability (pro tip: check your grocery’s deli counter. They usually have blocks of white American cheese there and can cut you off a chunk that you can grate yourself. It melts so much nicer than trying to use slices).
I like a little bit of texture to my mac and cheese, so I always sprinkle it with a bit of grated cheese and panko breadcrumbs, then broil it for a few minutes prior to serving. The chewy melted cheese and crunchy breadcrumbs add the perfect textural compliment to the unbridled creaminess. Of course, you could certainly serve this straight from the stovetop if you prefer (if you do, add the entire amount of cheese to the sauce instead of setting some aside for the topping; that will make the sauce slightly thicker to begin with).
Rich and creamy four cheese mac ‘n cheese is made even more flavorful with the addition of caramelized fennel.
Let us know what you think!
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