Steve's "Whatever is in the Cheese Drawer" Mac & Cheese

For those of you who know us, you then know we like cheese. Those of you who DON’T know us, well…..we like cheese. A lot. I mean, a LOT. I tend to be a fan of harder cheeses, and Jody loves nothing more than a nice runny Brie. The side effect of this is that we often end up with a cheese drawer in the fridge that ends up overflowing with our bounty of cheeses. So, instead of letting them go bad, since there is only so much cheese you can eat in a day, I will, on occasion, make a batch of mac and cheese from whatever is in there. Tonight was one of those nights.

Something else about me personally and my style of cooking. I almost never, EVER measure anything. I have always been a “Throw it in and see what it does” kind of cook, and I have been lucky that I don’t often screw anything up too too badly. (except with the possible exception of chili, which Jody swears was inedible) To that end, you will see that I’m not often offering true measurements, instead giving “about”s and “maybe this much”s. This mac and cheese recipe is one of those.

STEVE’S “WHATEVER IS IN THE CHEESE DRAWER” MAC AND CHEESE

2/3 quart milk

12-16 cups (I know, cups) shredded cheese, preferably 4 or 5 kinds

1lb. pasta of your choice (I used whole wheat rotini, I like the way it hold the sauce)

Salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, and dry mustard to taste

2 big handfuls spinach, chopped fine

 In a medium saucepan, bring the milk up to temperature *SLOWLY*, and by temperature I mean somewhere between medium low and medium, and by slowly I mean SLOWLY, otherwise you risk scorching the milk, and that will end badly. 

 While the milk is coming up to temp, shred all your cheeses together ( I know it sounds like a lot, but remember that there is a LOT of air mixed in with that shredded cheese, so while it sounds like a ton, it really isn’t). Once you have your milk up to temp, incorporate the cheese, a handful at a time, whisking to allow the cheese to melt uniformly into the sauce. Add your seasonings at any time during this process, but preferably near the end, so the different flavors of cheese don’t throw off your seasoning levels. Once your cheese sauce is together, leave it on low and bring a half pot of water to a boil, add your pasta, cook to desired doneness,

drain, add your sauce and spinach, stir to mix well, and eat happily.