Welcome to the March edition of “At the Teacher’s Table!” In this issue, I have invited Mr. Jon Ramirez, one of our amazing Saint Francis counselors! You will find him in the counseling office’s East Wing, with his office always decked out with cool sports memorabilia. Mr. Ramirez can be a tad intimidating when you first meet him, but you’ll quickly realize that his nonchalant exterior is just his way of showing love. He is known among the counseling office to be a big softy.
Thus, I was curious about what his favorite food would be. Upon my request, Mr. Ramirez immediately agreed to be featured in my column, but he deliberated extensively about what dish he would ask for. He considered many of the difficulties that would present itself in preserving the food’s original quality to give my food a fair and proper review. Finally, he decided upon chicken bacon mac and cheese. Touched by his thoughtfulness and the delicious-sounding dish, I was very excited to cook it for him. You know that chicken bacon mac and cheese is going to taste amazing just from the name itself!
I first researched the ingredients to use for my first-ever homemade mac and cheese. I was tempted to go with pre-shredded cheese. However, after researching, I found that pre-shredded cheese contains many preservatives that prevent the smooth, creamy cheese sauce from forming while cooking—a big no-no for mac and cheese. So, I hand-shredded a half-pound of sharp cheddar cheese and a pound of Monterey Jack cheese for the sauce instead.
Before making the mac and cheese itself, I prepped the bacon and chicken by slicing the bacon into small pieces and the chicken into slices, flavoring them with paprika, salt, black pepper, and onion powder. Then, after sautéeing the bacon until browned, I tossed the chicken slices in with the bacon fat to impart the bacon flavor to the chicken.
To make my cheese sauce, I started by melting butter in a medium-sized saucepan and mixing in flour to make a roux base. Once the roux was thoroughly combined, I mixed in milk. After the mixture was brought to a simmer, both cheeses were added to finish off the creamy cheese sauce. While making the sauce, I boiled the pasta to al dente, which is the stage when the pasta is not yet soft and mushy and still has a firm, resistant bite. After the cheese sauce was done, I combined the sauce with the pasta in a baking dish.
As both Mr. Ramirez and I say, the only way to eat mac and cheese is with toasted, buttery breadcrumbs on top! To do so, I mixed panko breadcrumbs with melted butter and topped the dish off with that mixture. I baked the mac and cheese until the breadcrumbs were sufficiently browned. While it baked, its rich and cheesy smell lured my family to the kitchen. We have never been a mac and cheese-loving family, but this recipe certainly changed that. Thanks, Mr. Ramirez!
During the tasting review, Mr. Ramirez told me where his love for chicken bacon mac and cheese came from. At a local restaurant that he, his wife, and his son frequented, their staple menu item was the restaurant’s chicken bacon mac and cheese. Sadly, the restaurant has since closed down and he has not tasted the dish in a long time. Hearing his story, I was very glad that I could bring him the taste of nostalgia and good memories.
He loved the flavor of the bacon, and noted that the dish was neither over nor under-seasoned. I’m happy he noticed that; I had tweaked the taste many times to make sure it was perfect. The flavor was savory and rich, and he enjoyed it immensely. He said he was “very impressed” and that the breadcrumbs were a “good touch.” Upon returning the container to me, I was amazed that it was completely empty! I was beyond overjoyed.
Of course, since no dish is perfect, his first critique was that the chicken meat was a little overcooked. In the future, I will make sure to cook the chicken less, and finish it off in the oven. He also noted that the sauce was a bit grainy, which I completely agreed with. After researching, I found that it happened because of the flour roux; the downside to using flour is that there is no way to prevent its inherent graininess. In the future, I will replace a flour-based roux with a cornstarch slurry for the base of the cheese sauce. I also agreed with his critique that the chicken should be cut into cubes rather than slices, which would be easier to eat with the small, bite-sized pasta.
Nevertheless, Mr. Ramirez enjoyed the dish. I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn more about my favorite educators through the foods that they love. Thank you to my new readers and returning readers for coming along on the journey!
