Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Mini Mac 'n Cheese Appetizer #recipe from author @DarylWoodGerber



Got my new cover for the next Cookbook Nook Mystery coming out in August: FUDGING THE BOOKS. Do you see Tigger in the hammock? Look closely!

Can you believe I'm already starting on the next book in the series (title is Cookbook Nook #5 so far - very inventive -  LOL). Whenever I start a book, I can't seem to think of anything else, so I need easy food. Little snacks. Lots of them. Mid-morning. Midday.  Midnight, if necessary. You probably don’t realize how much energy it takes to write a book. Thinking is hard work!

Sometimes it’s enough to make me want to give up writing… NOT. I couldn’t. I can’t. I have to write. There are too many characters in my head. They keep popping up. And stories. So many stories. So to write, I must eat!! Sigh. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. I sacrifice. :)

Today I'm sharing perhaps my all-time favorite comfort-food appetizer. It simply melts in your mouth. The wine adds just a hint of a kick!  

For a gluten-free option, which I make for myself, I use gluten-free pasta and gluten-free bread crumbs. Everything else is good to go!  Say cheese!

P.S.  Timothy O’Shea’s Irish Pub, which is the fictional “origin” for this recipe, is featured in my latest Cheese Shop MysteryAs Gouda As Dead.

MACARONI AND CHEESE APPETIZER
À la Timothy O’Shea’s Irish Pub

(Serves 4)

2 cup dried macaroni, cooked to tender (about 4-5 cups cooked)
1 clove garlic chopped
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup mascarpone cheese
1 cup grated cheese (equal parts Cheddars, Gouda, Monterey Jack)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.  Pasta may be made a day ahead.  Note:  Do not forget to drain and set aside.  You do not want the pasta to be “wet.”

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, and cornstarch. Cook about 1-2 minutes. It will boil and thicken. Stir constantly.




Add milk and wine, stir, and let boil to thicken.

Remove from heat and add mascarpone cheeese and grated cheeses.


Pour sauce over drained macaroni. Stir well. Fill 4 appetizer-sized ramekins with the mixture. Top with bread crumbs mixed with the Parmesan cheese.


Turn oven on to broil. Set the ramekins about 4 inches under broiler. Broil for 5-6 minutes until crisp.

Serve hot.


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AS GOUDA AS DEAD
order here





FUDGING THE BOOKS, the next Cookbook Nook Mystery, is available for order: order here.



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26 comments:

  1. Tigger looks so happy and content in the hammock. What a cute cover! I am looking forward to reading the book.

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  2. Sounds wonderful. My oldest son LOVES mac n cheese. I'll have to make this for him.

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  3. You know I'm a sucker for mac and cheese Daryl, and this looks wonderful. And your covers make us feel like we could (and want to!) just step into the scene...

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    1. Thanks, Lucy. I adore my artist. She really "gets" what I picture. :)

      Daryl / Avery

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  4. Adorable cover, Daryl, and your mini macs are marvelous--what a perfect idea for a wintertime snack; and I love the idea of individual side dishes. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful week. ~ Cleo

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    1. Thanks, Cleo! Individual side dishes are always so much fun. In fact a meal of side dishes... Yum!

      Daryl / Avery

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  5. Another gorgeous cover from Teresa, Daryl. I love her covers! And now you have me craving mac and cheese. Gee, thanks!!!

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    1. Thanks, Krista. She really gets the detail! Sorry I gave you a craving. But you do it to me all the time, so there! Ha!

      Daryl / Avery

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  6. Hi Avery, I pinned the recipe to my Pinterest page to share... I'm also going to copy and paste it to the recipe files I have on my back up drive. Thank you for posting this and I'm looking forward to reading "Fudging the Books".

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  7. I love the cover! Tigger is so cute! And the recipe is making me very hungry...

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  8. Love the new cover (congratulations) and the mac & cheese appetizer looks yummy!

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  9. Daryl, I pre-ordered the new Cookbook Nook as soon as I read your posting.I have enjoyed the series so much. That cover is delightful! I'll have to make the mac & cheese up for the "littles" (my granddaughters). As this winter drags on, I find myself reaching for comfort foods more and more. And, I love that spoon/spatula in the pictures. The red pattern is bright and fun.

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    1. Stephanie, your littles. How sweet. And thanks for ordering. Those spoon and spatulas I use are from a shop that sadly closed, Salt & Pepper, the basis for my Cookbook Nook series. I love them!!

      Daryl / Avery

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  10. Yummm. I love mac and cheese, but have never thought to add wine. It makes perfect sense though, I wonder why I've never thought of it!

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    1. Kat, it does make sense. And adds just a lovely hint of flavor.

      Daryl / Avery

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  11. Oh, I see. Tigger is the (fictional?) cat in the series? I was looking for that other Tigger -- in Winnie the Pooh?

    Tigger is very adorable in that hammock, as others have pointed out. I really have to read this book. I like the look of it, and the other books in the series.

    The "cheesy" series looks really good also. I can't wait.

    I wish I had more time to read cozies in general. Sometimes I take the bus from one end of town to the other, just so I can sit in a seat and read my cozy.

    :-) Pretty pathetic, right?

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    1. Pathetic? Heck no! Sounds very clever to me.

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    2. Diana, I used to love to read on the crosstown bus when I was living in NY. Enjoy! Yes, Tigger is the fictional cat that finds a home with Jenna, the protagonist and owner of the Cookbook Nook shop. Savor the mystery!

      Daryl / Avery

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  12. Hm, creamy mac and cheese with a crunchy topping. Perfect!

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  13. I like the new cover a lot--always happy when fudge plays a prominent role! It looks like I need to up my mac and cheese game!

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