2 years ago I had the pleasure of meeting celebrity Chef George Duran at the Blissdom Blogging conference. He was super nice. He looks just like this guy “Denis” my husband use to work with and I even showed him a picture Denis. I know true geek but they do look similar, he laughed and took a picture with me. I have always loved his cooking. I still use his method of of broiling the top of my meat loaf for 10 minutes to seal in the goodness before lowering the heat for the remaining cooking time.
So I was really excited to hear that George Duran is working with Imusa on there with go-to Hispanic cookware and appliance line, IMUSA (available in Target) He is doing a segment on the HSN segment Tomorrow Monday the 4th at 9am of you want to watch here is the link to the HSN Live show
Here is a his recipe for:
George Duran’s Fiery Tomato-Basil Mac & Cheese courtesy of IMUSA:
Ingredients:
1 lb. macaroni (elbow)
Kosher Salt
2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 cup packed fresh basil, chopped
1 stick butter
½ cup flour
5 cups whole milk
4 cups (16 oz) sharp cheddar, grated
For Topping
1 ½ cup Italian Style breadcrumbs
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Basil leaves for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Preparation:
Bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil and add salt to taste. Then, add macaroni and stir gently allowing it boil for about 7 minutes until “al dente”. Remove from heat and drain well and place in an extra large bowl. Add both cans of diced tomatoes and chopped basil and mix with a rubber spatula. Set aside. For béchamel sauce start by making a roux in a medium stock pot. Melt butter under medium heat and whisk in flour. Keep whisking for under medium heat until roux is browned, about 5-6 minutes. Add 2 tsp. salt. Gently whisk in the milk until properly combined. Constantly whisk the sauce until it thickens and begins to simmer, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and add 4 cups of cheddar. Gently mix it with a rubber spatula until completely melted. Combine cheese sauce and macaroni and pour into a caldero (for best results use an IMUSA Evolution Nonstick Caldero). Make topping by combining all of the ingredients and spread it evenly on top of mac and cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes until top is golden brown. Serve and garnish with basil.
What are you cooking tonight?