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Steak and Blue Cheese Mac and Cheese
This quick and comforting elevated “adult” version of mac and cheese is perfect after a long day. The creamy pasta made with Blue Cheese and served with steak, crispy prosciutto, toasted walnuts, and fresh thyme is pure decadence. If you feel the need for greens, throw some peas into the pasta during the last couple of minutes of cooking or wilt some spinach or watercress into the sauce.
Prep Time: 20 minutes 
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 12 cups mac and cheese plus 3 pounds steak
Serves: 8 – 10
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 pounds flank steak
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 (4-ounce) container finely chopped pancetta, or substitute bacon
- 1 medium red onion or substitute 2 large shallots, finely chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoon plus more for garnish, fresh thyme
- 16 ounces pasta (large macaroni, medium shells), 1 cup pasta water reserved
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 (5-ounce) container Frigo® Crumbled Blue Cheese, divided
- 1 (5-ounce) containers Frigo® Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- ½ cup fresh chopped parsley and/or chives, for garnish (optional)
Directions
Bring a medium stockpot of salted water to a boil.
Meanwhile, rub the steak with a hearty sprinkle of salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the steak, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Add the butter, pancetta, onion, and thyme and cook, spooning the butter over the steak as it melts, about 30 seconds. Remove the steak to a cutting board to rest.
Add pasta to the boiling water and cook to “al-dente” according to the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining well.
While pasta cooks, continue cooking the onion for 4-5 minutes until softened. Then, sprinkle flour over the sizzling butter mixture. Stir while cooking until the flour gets incorporated, about 2 minutes. Turn heat to low, pour in the milk, and stir mixture together until lumps of flour have become incorporated. Fold in 1 ½ containers of Frigo® Crumbled Blue Cheese, the Frigo® Shredded Parmesan Cheese, and ½ cup of toasted walnuts.
Drain the pasta and mix it into the sauce. Stir in some of the pasta water if the sauce seems too thick. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Slice steak across the grain. Place on top of the hot pasta and garnish with remaining Frigo® Crumbled Blue Cheese and toasted walnuts. Finish with fresh thyme and parsley and/or chives if desired.
Enjoy!
Rad Remix: For a vegetarian option, substitute roasted beets for steak.
