I love the croutons on top of martha’s version, which to me is the ideal mac and cheese. Without something crunchy for contrast, mac and cheese is one texture, and that texture is a bit boring.
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Agree. Also, the home-made croutons have some crispy and softer, chewier parts, which make them a little lighter and more interesting than a buttered bread crumb topping.
I understood exactly. My cousin and I have a running joke about plural words in Italian!
Whenever he bugs me about something I just text back “cannolis”. 
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It is - and I’ve only discovered it fairly recently (served in a restaurant). It’s not something stocked by our supermarket so I’ve not yet tried it at home.
They take forEVAH to cook, too. Best to wait until the tubes are fully collapsed, which is when they are ready to go 
I wouldn’t ‘waste’ them on your mac, tho. Cavatappi might be nice for that one, or conchiglie.
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We usually have roast beef, roast potatoes, petit peas with pearl onions, gravy, maybe some popovers, and a steamed pudding with hard sauce on Christmas Eve and relax with roast beef sandwiches for lunch the next day, hot roast beef sandwiches and mashed potatoes Christmas night, and onion soup for boxing day. One roast =the four meals of Christmas.
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Ok NOW we are cooking with gas.
Much better, and the overnight rest didn’t hurt either. Very glad to have found my holiday ragu!
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Looks amazing!!!
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Yay! Looks amazing. Did you go with paccheri, or what kind of pasta do you recommend ultimately?
I used “mezzo rigatoni” no. 322 from Barilla “Al Bronzo.” I only picked the “fancier” Barilla product line because it was the shape I wanted. I do think this is what I’ll go with for my upcoming dinner.
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Ty!
I don’t have a recipe to point you to, but an anecdote.
We ordered our Thanksgiving Day dinner this year from a local BBQ joint. Everything was really good, but the sleeper hit was the mac & cheese, which was elevated from their every day offering. It was gooey, but somehow didn’t feel heavy with a Panko/breadcrumb topping that had just a whisper of chopped rosemary mixed in. When I tasted it, I freaked out a little thinking that the kids (ages 8 to 11) would turn their noses up to it but in fact, they gobbled it up, as did the adults. To my surprise, the very brief ingredient list included fish sauce. They must add a tiny amount for some umami. It was one of the best mac & cheese renditions I’ve ever had.
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Blue Ribbon?
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Yep, Blue Ribbon. Everyone loved everything except for the green bean casserole. B already proclaimed that this will be a repeat for the foreseeable future. Fine by me!
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You gotta do what you gotta do. I have gotten far with paella. People do expect things, so that can tie your hands a bit. Entertaining should be fun.
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Howzabout this?
I’ve made pastilla before using pigeon breasts and it was fine. It is very sweet though for a savoury dish.
Oh, I did not see that. Def not for me, then.
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I’ve made it using quail and phyllo, but skipped the dusting of sugar on top (something I skip in any recipe that calls for it). I enjoyed it even though sweet and savory is not something I usually go for.
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