I’m still trying to find ways to use that huge bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey I purchased for St. Patrick’s Day. This recipe seemed like an easy way to get rid of a significant amount of liquor, and trust me, you’ll taste the whiskey in this mac and cheese. I almost passed out just smelling the boozy odor coming off of the white sauce while I was cooking it. At first, the taste was a bit harsh, but adding the brown sugar helped to mellow out the flavor, as well as adding a bit more salt than I usually would. Just a heads up, this is a very rich dish, so it’s one that you’ll want to make if you are serving a big crowd, or if you want to make a dish that will give you a couple of days worth of leftovers. This would be a great appetizer if served in very small dishes or containers.
For now, I think I’m taking a break from the whiskey. I’m not sure what cooking phase or trend I’ll be looking towards next, but I’m sure with the arrival of Spring, I’ll have lots of ideas to choose from. I’ve enjoyed all of the cooking questions I’ve received this week through email and Facebook, it’s fun being able to help other people out in the kitchen. Now’s your chance to help me out, by telling me what Spring dishes you would like to see here on Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck. Please feel free to give me your suggestions in the comment section below, I look forward to seeing which foods you’re currently interested in.
Ingredients:
- 8 Ounces of Pasta
- 3 Tablespoons Irish Butter
- 6 Scallions, Chopped
- 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Jameson Irish Whiskey
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce
- 2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 4 Cups Blarney Castle Cheese, Shredded
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Boil the pasta according to package directions. When the pasta is done, drain well, and then return the cooked noodles back into the pan you boiled them in.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped scallions, sauté for 1 minute.
- Whisk in the flour, sauté for 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Whisk the whiskey, milk, and cream into the flour.
- Add the mustard, brown sugar, hot sauce, salt, and pepper; whisk constantly for 8 minutes.
- Add the shredded cheese; whisk for 3 minutes.
- Pour the cheese mixture over the noodles, and then stir until well combined. Evenly spread the mac and cheese into a large glass baking dish; bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.
- Allow the mac and cheese to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Suggestions:
- I used Lumaconi in this recipe, which is a snail-shaped pasta that I purchased at World Market. I’ve finally finished the bag, which means I only have five more bags of pasta to go. My pantry has way too much pasta going on right now. Feel free to use whatever type of pasta you have on hand.
- You can substitute whichever butter you prefer if you don’t have or can’t find Irish Butter.
- The whiskey is definitely noticeable in this recipe; you can always cut the amount in half and replace it with more milk or cream. You most likely won’t need to add the brown sugar if you go this route.
- Blarney Castle Cheese is a mild and creamy cow’s milk cheese, which is similar to Dutch Gouda. You can replace it with Gouda, or even mild cheddar if it’s not available in your market. Costco always tends to sell it in large affordable blocks around St. Patrick’s Day, but they also carry a nice Dubliner Cheese throughout the rest of the year that would make a great substitution.
Improvements:
- You can top the mac and cheese with a buttered cracker or breadcrumb topping.
- Add diced ham and asparagus to the recipe for a one-dish meal.
Ingredients:
- 8 Ounces of Pasta
- 3 Tablespoons Irish Butter
- 6 Scallions, Chopped
- 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Jameson Irish Whiskey
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce
- 2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 4 Cups Blarney Castle Cheese, Shredded
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Boil the pasta according to package directions. When the pasta is done, drain well, and then return the cooked noodles back into the pan you boiled them in.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped scallions, sauté for 1 minute.
- Whisk in the flour, sauté for 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Whisk the whiskey, milk, and cream into the flour.
- Add the mustard, brown sugar, hot sauce, salt, and pepper; whisk constantly for 8 minutes.
- Add the shredded cheese; whisk for 3 minutes.
- Pour the cheese mixture over the noodles, and then stir until well combined. Evenly spread the mac and cheese into a large glass baking dish; bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.
- Allow the mac and cheese to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Don’t let this recipe slip away. How often do you find a recipe intriguing, yet forget where to find it when you finally get the hankering to make it? Instead of digging through old posts or wandering aimlessly around on the internet, why not Pin this recipe to Pinterest where you can find it when you eventually need it? Simply Pin the image above and you’ll have it when that time comes. You can follow us HERE on Pinterest or simply click HERE to find all of our pin-worthy recipes.
ORIGINALLY POSTED 03/20/2014
