Goat Cheese Macaroni

 

Oh it's that melancholy time of year. The summer abruptly comes to an end and school starts back up for our whole family. I began my classes on Monday, but for the men in the house today is the first day of school. It's our tradition to make comfort food on the eve of summer break's end, and this time around I really outdid myself- one can brag if their macaroni and cheese is considered "really yummy" and "I want this for breakfast" good. We've found that our dairy-free kid can tolerate goat cheese, so I used a goat cheddar for this dish (found at Trader Joes) and he was able to dig in with the rest of us. Here's our simple recipe that will hopefully become a comfort staple in your house all year round.

Goat Cheese Macaroni

12 macaroni pasta

10 oz grated goat cheddar (mild or medium)

3 tbsp butter (we use Earth Balance)+ 1/2 tsp for buttering dish.

1/3 cup milk (we use rice milk)

1/2 cup panko 

Sea salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In in large pot boil 8 cups of salted water and cook pasta until al dente.  Strain and set aside.  In a sauce pan over medium-high heat melt butter, stirring in milk before butter begins to brown. Add shredded cheese and stir constantly until smooth and combined. Butter a baking dish and fill with macaroni. Pour cheese sauce over the top and with sprinkle panko, salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes until the panko is golden and crisped.