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Well, let me start by saying my New Year’s resolution didn’t last very long. I planned on continuing to keep things light this week and had a couple of vegan dishes in mind. However, I went to the grocery store on an empty stomach and without a shopping list. For most, including myself, this is a dangerous combination. Somehow, I found myself in the cheese section.
The idea of porketta mac ‘n cheese had been swirling in my mind for a couple of years, but never got around to making it. I decided the time was now. I wasn’t sure of all of the ingredients I wanted to use, so I decided to just throw every item I might need in the cart. I felt that would be easier than having to run to the grocery store mid-recipe.
Upon arriving at home, I realized I had purchased eight types of cheese. I may have gone a little overboard, but a wise woman once said one can never have too much cheese (that woman was me, while at the store). Feeling undeterred, I pressed on and had a lot of fun making this dish. Usually, I draft up a recipe beforehand and carefully jot down any changes as I go. This time, I just made it up as I went.
I decided to go with cavatappi pasta, but large elbow macaroni would work just as well. For the cheese, I ended up sticking with cheddar (three types) but you could use smoked and block mozzarella instead and change up the cheese curds with a different flavor. I had never tried the Northland Market porketta before, so I bought one of those as well as a Zup’s porketta. Ultimately, I chose the Zup’s version for this recipe, but I will be using the Northland Market porketta in a future dish.
Chili crunch was an ingredient I was excited to find at the Ely Zup’s.
If you aren’t familiar with chili crunch (sometimes labeled as chili crisp), it is a crunchy, oil-packed hot pepper condiment that you can find in the Asian food section. I have been wanting to use this ingredient in the column for a while, but I try to use only ingredients you can find locally, so I hadn’t included it in any of my recipes before. It adds a nice pop of savory spice, but you can omit it if you can’t handle the heat.
I also picked up some grape tomatoes that I was tempted to halve and sprinkle over the dish prior to baking or serve roasted as a side.
Ultimately I decided to keep things simple and skip them. Another of my ideas was to make quick pickled red onions for a topping, but again, I decided to skip them. Pickled store bought jalapenos or pepperoncini peppers would also be good toppings. A recipe is just a guide, so feel free to customize it to suit your tastes.
Zup’s Porketta Mac & Cheese
Ingredients:
16 ounces cavatappi pasta (or large elbow macaroni)
1/4 cup salted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups (1 quart) half & half, warmed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/4 cup Zup’s hot mustard
1 tablespoon chili crunch
8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar, grated
8 ounces smoked cheddar, grated
4 cups shredded cooked Zup’s porketta (just under 2 pounds)
16 ounces garlic cheese curds (minus 1-2 for quality control)
Torn Italian parsley leaves for garnishing
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook for 8 minutes (1 minute beyond al dente). Drain well. Meanwhile, as the pasta is cooking, Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk thoroughly. Cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the warmed half & half. Continue cooking until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, whisking often. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Turn off the heat and whisk in the mustard and chili crunch. Set aside 1 cup of sharp cheddar and 1 cup of smoked cheddar. Mix the remaining grated cheeses into the pot. Continue whisking until the cheese is fully melted. Fold the cheese mixture into the drained pasta. Stir in the porketta and cheese curds (break any large curds into bite sized pieces). Pour the mixture into a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese. Spray a large sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the pan tightly. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and turn the oven to broil. Broil for 3-4 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and bubbly. Let cool for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with parsley.
Yield 12 servings.
