Yesterday I tried a new recipe for white truffle mac and cheese. Im
going to paste the recipe here but wanted to get thoughts on what went
wrong.

Once cooked, it was like a white sauce that broke with the oil
separating from the cheese.
Could it have been- cooked too long or at too high temp?
Could it have been the truffle oil?
I also added a bit more cheese than was called for when stirring the
cheese sauce but when I added it to the pasta it was very creamy. I
used really good cheeses so they would be a high quality. It tasted
WONDERFUL but looked not so nice.

Ideas?

8 oz (2 1/2 cups) uncooked mostaccioli or penne
2 tbsp margarine or butter
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
Dash nutmeg
1 tsp white truffle oil
1 1/4 cups half-&-half
1/2 c shredded Fontina cheese
1/2 c shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 c shredded aged White Cheddar cheese
2 tbsp dry white wine
2 tbsp sliced green onions

1. Heat over to 350. Spray 1 1/2 quart casserole with nonstick cooking
spray. Cook pasta to desired doneness as directed on package.
2. Meanwhile, in large saucepan, melt margarine over medium heat. Stir
in flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg; cook until bubbly, shirring
constantly. Gradually add half-&-half, stirring constantly. Cook until
mixture boils and thickens, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
Stir in cheeses until melted. Stir in wine.
3. Drain pasta. Add to cheese sauce; stir gently to coat. Pour into
sprayed dish. Optional: sprinkle with onions.
4. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until edges are bubbly and mixture
is thoroughly heated.

Id love to make this again because it tasted so good so thanks in
advance for ideas!

On Nov 23, 12:53 pm, Valentine > wrote:
> Yesterday I tried a new recipe for white truffle mac and cheese. Im
> going to paste the recipe here but wanted to get thoughts on what went
> wrong.
>
> Once cooked, it was like a white sauce that broke with the oil
> separating from the cheese.
> Could it have been- cooked too long or at too high temp?
> Could it have been the truffle oil?
> I also added a bit more cheese than was called for when stirring the
> cheese sauce but when I added it to the pasta it was very creamy. I
> used really good cheeses so they would be a high quality. It tasted
> WONDERFUL but looked not so nice.
>
> Ideas?
>
> 8 oz (2 1/2 cups) uncooked mostaccioli or penne
> 2 tbsp margarine or butter
> 2 tbsp flour
> 1/4 tsp salt
> 1/8 tsp white pepper
> Dash nutmeg
> 1 tsp white truffle oil
> 1 1/4 cups half-&-half
> 1/2 c shredded Fontina cheese
> 1/2 c shredded Gruyere cheese
> 1/2 c shredded aged White Cheddar cheese
> 2 tbsp dry white wine
> 2 tbsp sliced green onions
>
> 1. Heat over to 350. Spray 1 1/2 quart casserole with nonstick cooking
> spray. Cook pasta to desired doneness as directed on package.
> 2. Meanwhile, in large saucepan, melt margarine over medium heat. Stir
> in flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg; cook until bubbly, shirring
> constantly. Gradually add half-&-half, stirring constantly. Cook until
> mixture boils and thickens, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
> Stir in cheeses until melted. Stir in wine.
> 3. Drain pasta. Add to cheese sauce; stir gently to coat. Pour into
> sprayed dish. Optional: sprinkle with onions.
> 4. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until edges are bubbly and mixture
> is thoroughly heated.
>
> Id love to make this again because it tasted so good so thanks in
> advance for ideas!

Anyone??

Valentine wrote:

> Yesterday I tried a new recipe for white truffle mac and cheese. Im
> going to paste the recipe here but wanted to get thoughts on what went
> wrong.
>
> Once cooked, it was like a white sauce that broke with the oil
> separating from the cheese.

Sprinkle some flour on the shredded cheese before adding it.
A thorough but light coating will do it.

--
Reg

Reg wrote:
> Valentine wrote:
>
>> Yesterday I tried a new recipe for white truffle mac and cheese. Im
>> going to paste the recipe here but wanted to get thoughts on what went
>> wrong.
>>
>> Once cooked, it was like a white sauce that broke with the oil
>> separating from the cheese.
>
> Sprinkle some flour on the shredded cheese before adding it.
> A thorough but light coating will do it.
>
Nooooooo, I don't think that is the solution.
I just think it was a particularly rich sauce with all those cheeses
and they released their oils. Perhaps too high temp. It happens at times
and yet hardly ruins the dish. Just make it again and see if baking at a
lower temp but for a bit longer makes a difference.
I'm curious if that small of an amount of truffle oil made any
noticeable difference in flavor?

Goomba38 wrote:

> Reg wrote:
>
>> Valentine wrote:
>>
>>> Yesterday I tried a new recipe for white truffle mac and cheese. Im
>>> going to paste the recipe here but wanted to get thoughts on what went
>>> wrong.
>>>
>>> Once cooked, it was like a white sauce that broke with the oil
>>> separating from the cheese.
>>
>>
>> Sprinkle some flour on the shredded cheese before adding it.
>> A thorough but light coating will do it.
>>
> Nooooooo, I don't think that is the solution.

You haven't stated why. I can say with certainty that it's
effective.

> I just think it was a particularly rich sauce with all those cheeses
> and they released their oils. Perhaps too high temp. It happens at times
> and yet hardly ruins the dish. Just make it again and see if baking at a
> lower temp but for a bit longer makes a difference.

Yes, too high a temp can break a mornay sauce.

--
Reg

Reg wrote:

>>> Sprinkle some flour on the shredded cheese before adding it.
>>> A thorough but light coating will do it.
>>>
>> Nooooooo, I don't think that is the solution.
>
> You haven't stated why. I can say with certainty that it's
> effective.

I don't know if I know why? I just know that raw flour sprinkled about
does not make a sauce (such as people talk about doing to make
"scalloped potatoes" for example).

>> I just think it was a particularly rich sauce with all those cheeses
>> and they released their oils. Perhaps too high temp. It happens at
>> times and yet hardly ruins the dish. Just make it again and see if
>> baking at a lower temp but for a bit longer makes a difference.
>
> Yes, too high a temp can break a mornay sauce.
>
Perhaps the cheeses were too rich for the thin to medium white sauce the
recipe made? 2 T. butter, 2 T. flour and 1.5 cups of liquid is a fairly
thin sauce.

On Sat, 24 Nov 2007 04:04:53 -0500, Goomba38 >
wrote:

>I don't know if I know why? I just know that raw flour sprinkled about
>does not make a sauce (such as people talk about doing to make
>"scalloped potatoes" for example).

It most certainly does when making mac and cheese. That's the only
way I'll make it. All the other ways are too flourly for me. I skip
making a sauce and just coat the shredded cheese with flour, dot with
the requisite amount of butter, fill the cooking vessel with milk and
bake.

--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smiley face first

On Nov 24, 2:28 am, Goomba38 > wrote:
> Reg wrote:
> > Valentine wrote:
>
> >> Yesterday I tried a new recipe for white truffle mac and cheese. Im
> >> going to paste the recipe here but wanted to get thoughts on what went
> >> wrong.
>
> >> Once cooked, it was like a white sauce that broke with the oil
> >> separating from the cheese.
>
> > Sprinkle some flour on the shredded cheese before adding it.
> > A thorough but light coating will do it.
>
> Nooooooo, I don't think that is the solution.
> I just think it was a particularly rich sauce with all those cheeses
> and they released their oils. Perhaps too high temp. It happens at times
> and yet hardly ruins the dish. Just make it again and see if baking at a
> lower temp but for a bit longer makes a difference.
> I'm curious if that small of an amount of truffle oil made any
> noticeable difference in flavor?

Hi Goomba,
I could taste the truffle oil but my husband wanted a little more next
time.
Im going to try it again for dinner tomorrow night at a lower temp and
see.
Ive made mac and cheese with other cheeses before, starting with the
flour and butter the same and its never come out oily like that.
Still tasted yummy but I was disappointed. Thanks for the advice!

On Nov 24, 12:17 am, Reg > wrote:

> Sprinkle some flour on the shredded cheese before adding it.
> A thorough but light coating will do it.
>
> --
> Reg

Hey Reg,

I followed the directions and incorporated flour and butter before
adding the cheeses. Are you suggesting I add more flour to the cheese
itself?

"Valentine" > wrote in message
...
> Yesterday I tried a new recipe for white truffle mac and cheese. Im
> going to paste the recipe here but wanted to get thoughts on what went
> wrong.
>
> Once cooked, it was like a white sauce that broke with the oil
> separating from the cheese.
> Could it have been- cooked too long or at too high temp?
> Could it have been the truffle oil?
> I also added a bit more cheese than was called for when stirring the
> cheese sauce but when I added it to the pasta it was very creamy. I
> used really good cheeses so they would be a high quality. It tasted
> WONDERFUL but looked not so nice.
>
> Ideas?
>
> 8 oz (2 1/2 cups) uncooked mostaccioli or penne
> 2 tbsp margarine or butter
> 2 tbsp flour
> 1/4 tsp salt
> 1/8 tsp white pepper
> Dash nutmeg
> 1 tsp white truffle oil
> 1 1/4 cups half-&-half
> 1/2 c shredded Fontina cheese
> 1/2 c shredded Gruyere cheese
> 1/2 c shredded aged White Cheddar cheese
> 2 tbsp dry white wine
> 2 tbsp sliced green onions
>
> 1. Heat over to 350. Spray 1 1/2 quart casserole with nonstick cooking
> spray. Cook pasta to desired doneness as directed on package.
> 2. Meanwhile, in large saucepan, melt margarine over medium heat. Stir
> in flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg; cook until bubbly, shirring
> constantly. Gradually add half-&-half, stirring constantly. Cook until
> mixture boils and thickens, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
> Stir in cheeses until melted. Stir in wine.
> 3. Drain pasta. Add to cheese sauce; stir gently to coat. Pour into
> sprayed dish. Optional: sprinkle with onions.
> 4. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until edges are bubbly and mixture
> is thoroughly heated.
>
> Id love to make this again because it tasted so good so thanks in
> advance for ideas!

Some possibilities besides the suggestion not to have the sauce too hot when
adding the cheese --

Pasta may be too wet and/or isn't absorbing liquid as it should while
baking. Cook it a minute or so short of al dente, and drain it very well
(stir it in the colander so that the cooking water can fall out of the
tubular pasta). Don't use oil in pasta cooking water, which could impede
absorption of the sauce.

Sauce may need a little more binding starch. Try adding a half to a whole
tablespoon of corn starch along with the flour.