When Kaitlin was here in Beijing last week (TWOL newcomers: click here for context!), she took about 2 whole pounds of almonds and ground them up into almond meal.
After this moment of lapsed judgement that has of yet been left unexplained, she didn’t end up actually doing anything with the almond meal, leaving me with 2 pounds of the stuff. ALSO, in the process, she ended up electrocuting the Nutribullet by plugging it into the 220V outlet rather than the 110V outlet we have attached to our voltage converter.
The moral of the story: Do not, under any circumstances, let this girl into your home. She’s dangerous.
Kaitlin has since gone back home to the US (Okay, so she actually posted a couple really awesome recipes while she was here. Check them out: Chive Flower Tempura and Chive Flower Flatbread), and I’ve been racking my brain for ways to use almond meal ever since.
In an interesting development, I was mega craving macaroni and cheese today, so this happened: mac n’ cheese with an almond crust. It was DEE-LICIOUS. The almonds add crunch and nuttiness that compliments the cheese exceptionally well.
Ok, so the secret to my macaroni and cheese? Dijon mustard. I know I’m not the first person to add mustard to my mac. But if you’re not in the habit of doing this, I highly encourage you to start. It adds a pizzazz that reminds you why you decided not to break out the blue box and the cheese packets.
Almond Crusted Mac N’ Cheese: Recipe Instructions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until it’s just underdone (not quite al dente). Drain and run the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk until it just comes to a simmer, turn off the heat, and set aside. In a large pot set over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the flour is cooked and the resulting roux is a light brown color. Whisk in the heated milk and stir constantly for about 3 minutes, until thick and smooth.
Stir in the cheese and the mustard until it’s all melted together and well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the pasta into the pot and stir to combine.
Pour the mixture into a buttered baking dish and sprinkle with the ground almonds.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until bubbly. Commence stuffing of face.
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Recipe
Almond Crusted Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 oz. elbow macaroni or other small, short-cut pasta (350g)
- 2 cups milk (475 ml)
- 3 tablespoons butter (55g, plus extra for greasing the baking dish)
- 3 tablespoons flour (23g)
- 1 3/4 cups shredded cheese (about 150g, whatever you like)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
- a handful of ground almonds
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until it’s just underdone (not quite al dente). Drain and run the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the milk until it just comes to a simmer, turn off the heat, and set aside. In a large pot set over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the flour is cooked and the resulting roux is a light brown color. Whisk in the heated milk and stir constantly for about 3 minutes, until thick and smooth.
- Stir in the cheese and the mustard until it’s all melted together and well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the pasta into the pot and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a buttered baking dish and sprinkle with the ground almonds. Bake for about 25 minutes, until bubbly.
