Baked Boursin Macaroni and Cheese
Baked Boursin Macaroni and Cheese is a hearty meatless main dish filled with macaroni, a Boursin cheese sauce, and buttery breadcrumbs. It’s a quick dinner that can be prepared in under an hour. And, for thirty minutes of that hour, the Mac and Cheese is just baking in the oven, and needs zero attention from the cook. This would also make a great side dish. It would be great with some grilled fish or chicken.
The Equipment You’ll Need
- A Food Processor- You’ll need this to make the breadcrumbs for the topping.
- A 9 by 11 Casserole Dish- This is for baking the macaroni and cheese. You could also bake this recipe in six individual cocottes or ramekins.
The Ingredients You’ll Need for Baked Boursin Macaroni and Cheese
- Boursin Cheese- You can find this in the gourmet cheese section of your market. If you’ve never tried Boursin cheese, it is flavored with garlic and herbs.
- Parmesan Cheese- Please use Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, if you can.
- Fresh Thyme- This adds great flavor to the dish.
- Chicken Stock- I always use my homemade chicken stock. I’ll try and remember to link the recipe here.
- White Bread- This is for making the breadcrumbs. I like to use Pepperidge Farm white bread when I make breadcrumbs for Mac and Cheese.
How I Made my Macaroni and Cheese
- First, I boiled my macaroni in lots of salted water.
- While the pasta cooked, I made the cheese sauce. I was careful to measure everything very carefully.
- Then, I tempered the eggs by beating a little bit of the white sauce into a bowl of the beaten eggs. If you skip this step, you will make scrambled eggs when you stir the eggs into the hot sauce.
- Next, I made the breadcrumbs and baked my macaroni and cheese in cocottes.
I had such a busy day today, and I was glad to have such an easy and delicious dinner planned. I made this Baked Boursin Macaroni and Cheese hours before dinner, and then reheated them in the microwave when we were ready for dinner. And, I’m super excited to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
Baked Boursin Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni with a Boursin cheese sauce and topped with buttered bread crumbs.
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 3 cups elbow macaroni
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
- ¼ cup minced shallot
- 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces Boursin cheese
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 2 beaten eggs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme
- 2 cups cubed white bread
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Boil the macaroni and drain it well.
- Meanwhile in a Dutch oven, on medium heat, melt four tablespoons of butter and cook the shallots until they're tender.
- Add the flour to the shallots and cook for two minutes. Then add the chicken stock and cream and cook for two more minutes. Add the pepper and thyme. Remove the pot from the heat.
- Stir a half cup of the sauce into the beaten eggs. This is to temper, or heat up the eggs so they don't scramble in the hot sauce. Mix it with a spoon, and then add the warmed up eggs to the warm pot. Stir in the macaroni, Boursin, and Parmesan.
- Pour this mixture into a greased 9 by 11 casserole, or 6 individual cocottes or ramekins.
- In a small skillet melt the rest of the butter. Process the bread in the food processor to make breadcrumbs, and cook them in the butter for three minutes.
- Scatter the crumbs over the macaroni and cheese and bake for thirty minutes.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Chicken Stock
Homemade chicken stock
Ingredients
- 4½ lbs. chicken breasts and wings with skin and bones
- 10 cups water
- 2 peeled onions
- 2 peeled carrots
- 3 peeled parsley roots
- 1 tbsp. kosher salt
- 4 stalks celery
- 1 peeled parsnip
- 2 tbsp. garlic cloves
- 1 cup fresh parsley and fresh dill
Instructions
- Put the chicken and the salt in a large, tall pot and cover with ten cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, skimming any scum that forms.
- Add all the vegetables and herbs and simmer for two and a half hours. Pour the soup through a strainer to remove everything but the broth.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
