St Louis style Mac and Cheese with my homemade version of Provel! Creamy and Delicious!
When I was little my mom would never buy us the boxed mac and cheese or any type of canned spaghetti o’s or raviolis, or anything like that. I should have been happy right? Homemade everything! But I’d visit a friends house, and try those processed little cans of goodness, or microwave up a frozen corn dog and was a little envious…I KNOW.
Just even more proof that we don’t know a darn thing when we’re little. I mean, the decision making part of our brain isn’t even fully developed until we’re 25..so there’s that too.
Only when I got older did I realize how lucky I was for all the cooking that my mom did for us. Now I know, there is quite literally nothing like homemade mac and cheese! Especially since the combinations are absolutely endless!
When we lived in Missouri, we made a few trips to St Louis, and each time we had Provel in one way or another, but I always loved it..it’s so creamy, and unlike other cheeses. But I can’t find it anywhere up here in the Northwest, and my husband and I got a hankering for it!
So a little googling and researching and voila! Homemade, makeshift Provel, combining the three cheese that make it up; Swiss, cheddar, and provolone, plus a little added mascarpone for even more creaminess!
This Mac & Cheese is fantastic! This recipe makes a lot, so if you’re not serving a crowd, you can definitely cut it in half. You’re going to love it!
St Louis style Mac and Cheese with my homemade version of Provel! Creamy and Delicious!
Ingredients
- 26 ounces pasta
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1/2 cup flour
- 4 cups 2% milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup mascarpone
- 10 ounces swiss, shredded
- 8 ounces cheddar, shredded
- 8 ounces provolone, shredded
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2-1 cup panko
Directions
- Cook pasta according until al dente, and set aside.
- In a large skillet, with high walls, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and yellow onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Whisk in the flour, creating a roux, and continue whisking until bubbly and golden brown.
- Pour in the milk and heavy cream, whisking continuously for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the mascarpone, and all but 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Stir continuously until the sauce thickens and the cheese is fully melted.
- Season with nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Preheat oven to 375°. Pour the cooked pasta in a large baking dish. Pour in the cheese sauce, and toss around until evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle the top with the panko then the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
- Pop it in the oven for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and bubbly. Serve and Enjoy!