Fridge Foraging: Leftover Cheese Mac n Cheese

I love a good cheese board - I mean who doesn't. They are the perfect appetizer  for when you have company over, or sometimes in my case, just dinner!

What I don't love is the half eaten cheese after all of your guests have gone. Do you save it? Do you toss it? Are you really going to use up that quarter of goat cheese? The answer is to save it and make mac n cheese! 

This week's fridge foraging was a close one. It was between this mac n cheese or chicken and rice and the mac n cheese won out. I hosted a little get together last weekend and had all this half eaten cheese I needed to use up and from that we created the tastiest darn dish filled with all the cheesy goodness. 

Leftover Cheese Mac n Cheese

• 1 lb. pasta such as rigatoni or penne, cooked until al dente
• 4 Tbs. butter
• 4 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 Tbs, Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper
• 20 oz leftover or favorite cheese (such as cheddar, gruyere, brie, meunster) 
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs 
• 2 Tbs. olive oil 

Pre-heat oven to 375°F. 

In a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until combined. Cook for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. Bring the milk mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the milk mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Add nutmeg, mustard, a pinch of salt and pepper and cheese. Fold in cooked pasta.

In a small bowl mix together the breadcrumbs and the olive oil. Top mac n cheese with breadcrumb mixture. 

Cook mac n cheese for about 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbling and the top is golden brown. 

Serve warm. 

Makes about 4 to 6 servings.