chef Adam Moore Down Under mac and 'n' cheese with Aussie grassfed beef

  • Prep time 5Min
  • Cook time 25Min
  • Technique Bake
  • Meat Beef
  • Cut
  • Serves 4

Mac and cheese is just as popular Down Under as in America. It gets that Aussie flavor from grassfed ground beef.

Ingredients


Portion size: about 1 cup
Alternate cuts: Any leftover lamb or beef, diced 

Ingredients:

1 pound ground Australian grassfed beef

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 tablespoons flour

4 cups milk

1 pound cubed Velveeta

1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

3 cups uncooked shell pasta

1 cup sweet peas



Garnish:


1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

1 teaspoon, plus more if desired, chopped fresh rosemary leaves

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large sauce pot over MEDIUM-HIGH heat, melt 3 Tablespoons of butter and add the ground beef. Break beef into small crumbles and cook until browned. Once cooked, place beef in a small bowl and set aside. Next, melt remaining butter and whisk in the flour to form a roux- cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, ½ cup at a time, allowing it to thicken before adding the remaining milk. Once all the milk has been added, add the Velveeta and stir until melted. Turn off the heat, add the cheddar, and stir until melted. Cook pasta to package instructions. Stir the pasta, peas and the beef into the cheese sauce. Mix well and place in a 9x13 casserole dish. 

To serve: In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Top the mac ‘n’ cheese with the bread crumbs and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and top with more fresh rosemary (if desired). Serve immediately.