Grown up Mac & Cheese With Bay Scallops

"This is a yummy new recipe that I created today. I was thinking about making a pasta alfredo with some sauteed scallops, but things got out of control & my husband LOVED the results."
 
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photo by The Tiny Chef photo by The Tiny Chef
photo by The Tiny Chef
photo by The Tiny Chef photo by The Tiny Chef
Ready In:
30mins
Ingredients:
10
Serves:
4-6

ingredients

  • 1 lb bay scallop
  • 14 cup butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup milk (or more as needed)
  • 1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 cup of finely shredded cheese (I used a mixture of cheddar and muenster today because it's what I had in the house)
  • 2 tablespoons goat cheese (to garnish)
  • 2 cups of small penne pasta
  • salt and pepper, as needed
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directions

  • Set pot of water to boil for the pasta & add pasta when water is at a rolling boil.
  • In a large pan over medium heat, heat onion and butter until onions are soft, sweet and lightly brown - add garlic at the end as it cooks much faster than onion.
  • Sprinkle the flour over the top of them and stir to make a roux. Add the milk a little at a time while stirring constantly. Don't panic if it's a little lumpy because you are making a cheese sauce anyway.
  • After thoroughly rinsing the bay scallops (they tend to be sandy) add them to the sauce in the pan and cook until the scallops are opaque. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Once the scallops are done, add the cheese and stir it up.
  • To plate, I garnished with goat cheese and fresh cracked pepper - very tasty addition.

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Reviews

  1. This mac and cheese is very creamy and cheesy. Use your biggest skillet/frying pan for this. My DH said this was the best mac and cheese he ever had! It is high in fat, though, so if you are on a low fat diet, or are watching your calorie intake, then avoid; otherwise, enjoy! I will definitely be making this again. The recipe is a keeper!
     
  2. This was a great & fast dinner! I just added scallops in with the onion and garlic to cook since they weren't already cooked. This is definitely going to be a go to meal on nights when I don't have much time. Has potential for many variations. Thanks for sharing!
     
  3. This was very good! I used a mixture of sharp cheddar and monterey jack. I added 1/4 t dried thyme and 1/2 t old bay, 1/4 t dry mustard and left out the garlic since I was out. I used elbow macaroni with it, but really would have preferred linguini or spaghetti for presentation. What I would do differently next time is saute the scallops in another pan and pour off the liquid as it overpowered the cheese sauce for our tastes. I might also consider adding some parmesan for a 3 cheese sauce.
     
  4. This dish was amazing! I suggested this to my mother for tonight's dinner and she said this was the best recipe I've gotten off of Recipezaar. We used cheddar and mozzarella and a tiny bit of Velveeta for texture and it was amazing. :) Also substituted shell macaroni pasta for the penne. :) Definite crowd-pleaser, my sister and I (both teenagers) loved it :)
     
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Tweaks

  1. This dish was amazing! I suggested this to my mother for tonight's dinner and she said this was the best recipe I've gotten off of Recipezaar. We used cheddar and mozzarella and a tiny bit of Velveeta for texture and it was amazing. :) Also substituted shell macaroni pasta for the penne. :) Definite crowd-pleaser, my sister and I (both teenagers) loved it :)
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I am a veteran educator and just love living in southern Arizona! My husband and I are part of a family full of "foodies" and my grandfather was a well-known chef on the eastern seaboard back in the old days. My favorite cookbook is The New All-American Cookbook that my grandmother - who was also a fabulous cook - left me when she passed away. It was printed in the 40's and literally tells you how to boil water and prepare the meats(including squirrel!)that your husband brings home from hunting! However, it has every single recipe I have ever wanted to make and I refer to it weekly. We have 4 great kids and two gorgeous dogs - a minature pinscher and a red queensland heeler.
 
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