Gooey Ganja Mac & Cheese
Kraft introduced its famous dinner to the masses in 1937, but mac and cheese as a concept has been around much longer. It is said that the ooey, gooey dish was introduced to North America by no less than US President Thomas Jefferson, who brought a pasta machine back from a visit to Europe.
It’s harder to say when mac and cheese started flirting with cannabis, but it’s pretty obvious to anyone who’s ever tried both how well they go together.
Instead of enjoying your cannabis before or after your mac and cheese, this cannabutter-based recipe lets you eat them together, amping the comfort factor on the classic dish.
Recipe by Chef Ronnie Fishman, words by Devon Scoble.
Ingredients
8 ounces cavatappi pasta or elbow macaroni (makes 4 cups cooked)
2 tbsp cannabutter
½ small onion, grated
1 garlic clove, finely grated
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups whole milk
1 chipotle in adobo sauce (or just the adobo sauce if you want it milder)
2-3 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
salt & pepper (to taste)
1 cup each: Gruyere, Fontina, white cheddar and Parmesan, grated
Method
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente (the noodles will continue to cook in the cheese sauce, so take them out a few minutes before you think they’re actually done). Drain pasta and leave it to cool.
Melt cannabutter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring until onions are fragrant and beginning to soften, about 2 minutes.
Sprinkle flour over the mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to stick to bottom of saucepan, about 1 minute. Add warm milk in a few additions, whisking to combine after each addition.
Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring, until sauce is thickened and doesn’t feel grainy when a little bit is rubbed between your fingers, about 6–8 minutes (cooking the flour thoroughly at this stage ensures a creamy sauce). Add finely chopped chipotle and some adobo sauce. Add the cheeses and stir until they are melted and the sauce is smooth.
Remove from heat and mix in pasta; transfer to a 2-qt. baking dish and top with Parmesan and extra thyme, if desired. Bake until sauce is bubbling around the edges, 8–10 minutes. Let cool in pan before serving.
