Wednesday, April 06, 2016

#Recipe & Book Who can resist a great Mac n Cheese? w Trevann Rogers #homecooking #supernatural

Recipe & Book with
Trevann Rogers
I don't know about you, but for some of us there are moments in life when food is EVERYTHING. That snowy night in December, what's more necessary than a cup of cocoa? What's Thanksgiving (or New Year's or Arbor Day) without (insert your family's most treasured entree)? Your first cup of java in the morning? How about a pint of Ben and Jerry's the day someone royally irritates you? Or chocolate--need I say more?

For me, nothing comes close to the comforting gooey goodness of macaroni and cheese. My mother would make a huge Corningware vat of it nearly every holiday, but more importantly, on those days when we just needed food to be perfect, and perfectly there for us. Her recipe wasn't fancy. It included cream and eggs and breadcrumbs extra sharp yellow cheese...and Mom's special magic. 

Honestly, it had to be magic of some kind. With my best efforts I could never replicate its extraordinary taste and texture. My sister can, but I apparently don't have her gifts.  However, after years of looking at recipes and trying to cook a dish my mom would be proud of, I struck cheesy gold.
Here is my take on macaroni and cheese with nods to my mom's flair for convenience and Martha Stewart's penchant for flavor bursts. The result is simple, rich and amazing. 

The Most Amazing Mac and Cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 stick butter
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup flour
1.5 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
Large(13x9) buttered baking dish

DIRECTIONS: Cook macaroni, rinse in cold water to stop it from cooking and set aside.

Melt butter in a deep skillet or pot over medium heat. When melted whisk in flour. Keep whisking 1 minute then slowly whisk in milk. Continue cooking and whisking until it thickens. Turn off heat.

Add salt, cayenne pepper, the Gruyere, and all but a half cup of the cheddar cheese. Stir macaroni into the cheese sauce. Pour mixture into buttered baking dish. Mix bread crumbs with remaining half cup of cheddar and sprinkle over top. Bake until bubbling and  golden brown (30-40 minutes). Enjoy! 

Cheyenne is a half-human incubus whose star is on the rise in the Unakite City rock scene. His father, the leader of the supernatural races, would prefer he keep a “low profile”, but screw that. Cheyenne has as much music in his veins as royal incubi blood. 


Alexander's future is all set—finish law school, join the family firm, and marry someone who'd be good for business. Not that he has a say in any of it. He's barely met the woman his father expects him to marry. 


As Cheyenne's musical career takes off, his carefully constructed life begins to unravel, exacerbated by an ex-lover who can't let go, a crotchety barkeeper with a dirty mind and a pure heart, a drag queen who moonlights as a nanny, and Alexander—who's not sure if he's falling for the incubus or the rocker. 

Cheyenne denies who he is, while Alexander hides what he wants. Together, they learn that getting what they truly want means being who they truly are.


You can find House of the Rising Son at:  Amazon
Find Trevann Rogers at: Website  

Trevann, my son will be all over your mac & cheese--his favorite? So what's your favorite dessert?b

7 comments:

Angela Adams said...

There isn't enough room to list all of my favorites, but one is mac n' cheese. Thank you so much for this recipe!

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Angela! My #2 loves mac n cheese. I hope he checks this recipe out. Thanks for stopping by.

Trevann Rogers said...

You're welcome, Angela. I'd love to hear how it turns out for you when you try it.

Trevann Rogers said...

Thank you for hosting me today, Vicki.

Trevann Rogers said...

Before I forget---my favorite desert white cake with chocolate icing. Plain but tasty. I also can't pass up a Creme brûlée but that cake would win in a duel

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Trevann! So glad you could visit. I love white cake with chocolate frosting too. I'm a huge cake fan. lol

Livia Quinn said...

I've been seeing some of these great mac n cheese dishes on Food channel and all seem to have gruyere. I'm so glad you posted this! Cant wait to try it.