Satisfying Steak n' Cheddar Mac
By: Leah Rodrigues
Published: June 2, 2015

If you are a comfort food junkie, then you will be hard pressed to turn down a bowl of steak and cheddar mac.  Perfectly cooked al dente elbow macaroni is coated in a velvety cheese sauce and studded with succulent chunks of steak.  Think of this dish as an upscale version of Hamburger Helper with more flavor.  If you wanted to serve this gourmet mac n' cheese as a dinner party dish, leave the steak whole and place it on top of the pasta for a more dramatic presentation.
Steak n' Cheddar Mac
Ingredients:
	1 (1 lb.) bag elbow macaroni (or other short pasta)
	6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
	1 tablespoon olive oil
	16 ounces sirloin steak or favorite cut of steak, cut into bite sized chunks
	3 garlic cloves, finely minced
	2 tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, finely minced
	4 tablespoons flour
	2 cups whole milk (plus more for thinning the sauce)
	2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
	kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Step 1: Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil.  Once the water is boiling, generously season it with water.  Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Step 2: Heat 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Lightly season the steak pieces with salt and pepper.  Brown the steak until it is cooked to your preferred doneness.  Remove from heat.  
	Step 3: Add the remaining butter to the pan along with the garlic and parsley.  Cook the garlic for a minute until fragrant, then add the flour.  Whisk until the flour has fully absorbed the butter.  Slowly add the milk to the pan, whisking continuously so there are no lumps.  Simmer the sauce until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Add the cheese and stir until melted.  
	Step 4: Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to combine.  Season the dish with salt and pepper and taste (adjust seasoning if necessary).  Lastly, incorporate the steak into the mac n' cheese.  If the sauce is too thick, thin it out with some milk as needed.  Serve hot.