Sometimes, comfort food is what you need. And when you're in a foreign country, substitutes for your favorite things can be maddeningly expensive or just downright impossible. Cheddar cheese, for instance, which is a near requirement for a good American cheese dish. I can't promise that this will beat a cheddar version...but I can tell you this is the second time I've made it, and I'm not sure my husband even got to TASTE the first batch. That tells you something, eh?
It is not healthy. Do not complain. This is a slightly trimmed back version. Martha calls for something like 6 CUPS of cheese, which to me is verging on gluttony. Sweet, sweet gluttony. I just use a good handful of shredded cheese, so my 3 cups is sort of an estimate. Add or subtract as your family desires. Using dried mustard powder (mostarda em pó-available at Casas Pedro) gives a good bite that kind of punches up the mild cheeses and the nutmeg adds depth; don't leave them out!
For cheese, I used minas padrão, queijo do reino (with the pink rind, I cut that off)and the cheap-o parmesan that comes in baggies. If you want to spend mad supermarket cash, try Gruyère, Pecorino, or imported cheddar etc. as the original recipe suggests. If you want to save, I think it would work with just requeijão and parmesan (though maybe you'd want a little less white sauce), or just use an aged Minas, padrão or lanche variety. I think prata and mozzarella would be too greasy or stringy, FYI.
Lastly, since gas ovens don't have broilers, here's a little trick I've learned. When your dish is 97% done, turn off the oven and leave the dish uncovered in the still-hot oven for about 10 minutes. Somehow, the cooling oven manages to put a good brown on top of baked goods without giving you the crunchy burnt bottom we all love SO much.
And now...the recipe. You're welcome!
Martha's Smitten Brazilian Crack-n-Cheese
(mildly adapted from Smitten Kitchen's version of Martha's version)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
1 liter milk (4 cups)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for water
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper/paprika picante
1/4-1/2 teaspoon paprika doce (for color)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground mustard (depends on preference)
about 3 cups total grated cheese
500 grams shaped pasta
toppings and mix-ins as required (healthy things like spinach or broccoli, proteins like tuna or bacon, or carbwonderfulness such as bread crumbs, crackers or corn flakes.
Preheat the oven to 350-375 (fairly hot for gas stove users!) and butter a large pan. Set aside. Cook your pasta in a large pan of salted water while you prepare the sauce; try to undercook it by a few minutes. Drain and set aside. (If your pasta is done early, rinse with cold water so it won't stick together; if it's done about the same time as the sauce, you don't need to rinse.)
Warm your milk in the microwave or on the stove. Melt butter in a separate, large saucepan and when it begins to bubble, carefully whisk in the flour, trying to break up any clumps. Cook, whisking continually, for about 2 minutes. While whisking, pour the milk slowly into the pan. The sauce will begin to thicken. Whisk until it has the consistency of thin pudding, then add the spices and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted and well combined, remove from heat. Reserve a little sauce if desired-'tis yummy as Welsh Rarebit, over vegetables, etc. and this recipe always makes a LOT of sauce.
Pour pasta into cheese sauce and then into prepared pan. Add mix-ins or toppings if desired. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes covered, then uncover and allow the top to brown.
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