Tomato Macaroni Cheese

We hosted a gathering of friends the other evening, and being that our place is a tiny little studio, I wanted to make something that would be easy enough to eat from small plates while standing. I introduce to you: Jamie's Tomato Mac and Cheese. It was easy, flavorful with just enough reminiscence of childhood to make dinner whimsical and fun. Since the recipe indicated that this dish would serve 4, I decided to double the quantity. Looking at 3 casserole dishes later my astute friend Marcell commented that these must be 4 "American" size servings (which is funny with Jamie being British). Between the 7 of us we barely finished 1 of the 3 casseroles. I had the foresight to at least freeze the 3rd, but Bry and I ate Macaroni and Cheese for a few days.

This was a delicious recipe with enough unsuspecting ingredients (anchovies, basil, sun-dried tomatoes) to make this childhood classic a bit more elegant, with torn bits of mozzarella scattered over the top and a finish of fresh bread crumbs, thyme and parmesan. Jamie's recipe calls for a quick cream sauce (really just half and half spiked with nutmeg) as opposed to a more laborious white sauce, which made for a lighter meal. I kept with the "flashback" theme and served Rice Krispies for dessert. Perfect. All in all, I think everyone enjoyed it and I would make this again for a large gathering.

Stephanie

(Note: this image is actually from the leftovers the next day... sorry, I was too busy enjoying it to whip out the camera!)