South Philly Cheese Steak Mac n' Cheese
by Rachel Ray
Ingredients:
salt
1lb of cavatappi pasta, hollow ridged screws*
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
black pepper
2 large onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
3 cups shredded provolone*
1/2 cup beef stock
3/4 lb. thinly sliced deli roast beef, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
Place large pot of water over high heat and bring it to a boil. Salt the water, add the pasta, and cook to al dente. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
While the pasta water is coming to a boil, heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and cover with a lid or piece of aluminum foil for 2 to 3 minutes to get them going. Remove the lid or foil and continue cooking the onions until tender and lightly caramelized, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the onions are caramelizing, melt the butter in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and cook the mixture for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Whisk the milk into the butter-flour mixture slowly and bring up to a bubble to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, then season with salt and pepper and reserve.
Preheat the broiler.
To the skillet with the onions, add the beef stock and the roast beef. Stir over medium heat just to warm through.
Add the cheese sauce and the onion-beef mixture to the pot with the drained pasta and toss everything to combine. Return the pasta mixture to the skillet or to a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish* and top with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. Place under broiler until bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with parsley.
*i used elbow macaroni
* a block of provolone is pricey. we bought a package of sliced provolone and cut into thin strips. worked fine.
*i don't know what she's thinking. this will not fit in a 9 x13. that's why we used the reusable tin.
