Food

New Twists On A Classic Comfort Food Dish

Posted: 3/11/2011

Upgrade your macaroni and cheese into a sophisticated dish, such as Truffle Mac with Baby Portabellas.

(NAPSI) - The hottest cuisine trend right now is adding new twists to comfort food classics like macaroni and cheese. It’s not just for kids anymore—and doesn’t take a lot of effort, just a little imagination.

In restaurants across the U.S., chefs are featuring kicked- up mac and cheese dishes made with global flavors, high-end ingredients and even spiked sauces.

These recipe ideas can help you follow the lead of some of today’s trendiest chefs, transforming everyday mac and cheese into an even more tempting treat.

• Bacon Mac and Cheeseburger: This dish builds off another American comfort food classic: the bacon cheeseburger. Try deconstructing the burger by adding ground beef, crispy chopped bacon, diced Roma tomatoes and chopped green onions to your mac and cheese. Top it off with some toasted bread crumbs and shredded cheddar-Jack cheese. Delish.

• Truffle Mac with Baby Portabellas: Tickle your taste buds with a little tour through France by adding white truffle oil to your cheese sauce. It only takes a little to bring out a very bold, rich flavor. Try it with sautéed baby portabella mushrooms, toasted bread crumbs and topped off with shredded Parmesan cheese and parsley. Oui.

• Southwestern Chili Mac: With the growing popularity of Southwestern cuisine, you may want to create a little mac and cheese fiesta. Smother your mac dish with spicy red chili and crumbled taco meat and top it off with shredded cheddar-Jack cheese and diced green onions. Olé.

These three “grown-up” mac and cheese dishes are available at Noodles & Company’s 255 restaurants and come with a side salad or soup, all for under $8.

So go ahead—think outside the casserole dish and follow advice from top chefs: Take comfort in the unexpected.