Rarebit Mac ‘n’ Greens
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Mac and cheese is a holiday staple for a reason. It’s a breeze to assemble ahead, feeds a crowd in one fell swoop and is beloved by just about everyone (even your fussy relatives). The rarebit mac ‘n’ greens from Molly Baz’s new cookbook, More Is More: Get Loose in the Kitchen, gives the dish a beer-spiked spin that you’ll find irresistible.
This twist on traditional mac is inspired by Welsh rarebit, a dish of toasted bread crowned with cheese sauce. “We’re transforming that beer-and-cheese spread into a creamy béchamel sauce, tossing it with pasta, topping it with breadcrumbs and baking it until golden brown and bubbling for the best of both worlds,” writes Baz. “Worcestershire sauce, dark stout and Dijon mustard make up the backbone of this British pub-inspired mac ‘n’ cheese, and two whole bunches of greens baked right into it cover your vegetable quota for dinner.”
The options are endless when it comes to the produce: kale, spinach, collards and mustard greens are all fair game. As for the cheese, the dairy aisle is your oyster, but Baz recommends a blend of extra-sharp cheddar, Gruyère, Emmentaler and fontina. Whatever you choose, the results will be buttery, gooey and straight-up drool-worthy.
More Is More Copyright © 2023 by Molly Baz. Photographs copyright © 2023 by PEDEN + MUNK. Illustrations Copyright © 2023 Claire McCracken. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House.
888 calories
59g fat
55g carbs
34g protein
7g sugars
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
10 garlic cloves
1½ pounds mixed cheese, such as extra-sharp cheddar, Gruyère, Emmentaler and/or fontina
14 ounces leafy greens, such as kale, spinach, collards and/or mustard greens (about 2 bunches)
12 ounces curly pasta, such as cavatappi or rotini
12 ounces dark beer or stout, such as Guinness
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
2 ounces grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (about ½ cup)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Lightly smash and peel the garlic. Thinly slice the cloves.
3. Grate the cheeses on the large holes of a box grater.
4. Strip the leaves of the leafy greens from the stems. Tear them into bite-size pieces.
5. When the water boils, stir in the pasta and cook just short of al dente, 2 minutes shy of the package directions. Drain the pasta. Reserve the pot.
6. Open the beer. In the same pot you cooked the pasta in, melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until soft and fragrant, 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the garlic and cook, whisking, for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the beer until smooth.
7. Whisking continuously, slowly add the heavy cream. Once incorporated, gradually add the whole milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the grated cheeses and the Parm. Stir until nearly completely melted. Stir in the Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. (The recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of each, but taste and add as you see fit.)
8. Season the sauce with 1½ teaspoons of salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir the pasta into the cheese sauce, followed by the torn greens, stirring to distribute them evenly. They’ll cook down further in the oven.
9. Transfer the contents of the pot to the prepared baking dish. Bake until the top is golden and beginning to crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.
10. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium-high heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and toast, stirring often, until deeply golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a bowl and season with salt.
11. Remove the baking dish from the oven, scatter the breadcrumbs evenly over the pasta and return the dish to the oven. Continue to bake until the top is deeply golden brown and the sauce is thick and bubbling, 12 to 16 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
