Skillet Macaroni and Broccoli and Mushrooms and Cheese
- 4 ounces grated Cheddar
- 2 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or other hard cheese
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 6 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced
- 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3 cups low-fat or fat-free milk
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced tarragon leaves or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces dried whole-wheat pasta shells (not the large ones for stuffing), cooked and drained according to the package instructions
- 4 cups small broccoli florets, cooked in boiling water for 1 minute (broccoli can be added to the pasta during the last minute of cooking, then drained with the pasta in a colander)
- Mix the Cheddar and Parmigiano-Reggiano in a medium bowl.
- Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large, high-sided, oven-safe skillet.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and it comes to a simmer, and then reduces by about two-thirds, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables in the skillet.
- Stir well to coat.
- Whisk in the milk in a steady, thin stream until creamy.
- Then whisk in the mustard, tarragon, salt and pepper.
- Continue whisking until the mixture starts to bubble and the liquid thickens, about 3 minutes
- Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Stir in three-quarters of the mixed cheeses until smooth.
- Then stir in the cooked pasta and broccoli.
- Preheat the broiler after setting the rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source.
- Meanwhile, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the ingredients in the skillet.
- Set the skillet on the rack and broil until light browned and bubbling, about 5 minutes.
- (If your skillet has a plastic or wooden handle, make sure it sticks outside the oven, out from under the broiler, so the handle doesnt melt.)
- Cool for 5 to 10 minutes before dishing up.
cheddar, hard cheese, unsalted butter, yellow onion, cremini, flour, lowfat, mustard, tarragon, salt, freshly ground black pepper, pasta shells, broccoli florets
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015109 (may not work)