Cheese Souffle

One of my favorite mac'n'cheese recipes comes from Alton Brown, the 'science guy' of cooking. I'd love to know his fun sciency explanation as to why mustard powder is so crucial to all things cheese, but for now I'll just take his word for it! When I saw he had a recipe for cheese souffle and that it requires a mixer....this creation was born.

You may not have mustard powder, but I urge you to get it. It makes the most inexplicably delicious mac'n'cheese and I can't imagine this souffle without it. Here's a spice website generally cheaper and fresher than grocery store spices.

Mr V enjoyed it but he isn't obsessed with cheese quite as badly as I am. All but a small sliver of this dish was gone....I don't know how! It certainly wasn't because I gave up refilling my plate and just carried the whole souffle dish to the couch with a big spoon. (It was a smallish spoon)

Ingredients:

Butter for greasing the souffle
2 tablespoons parmesan - the cheap powdery stuff is ideal for this purpose...yay!

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
dash of kosher salt
1 1/3 cups milk - heated
5 eggs - separated into 4 yolks and 5 whites. The whites can go directly into the mixer's bowl
6 ounces sharp cheddar, crumbled or shredded
1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter - if humid environment

Equipment:

(From now on we'll assume you always need measuring cups and spoons)
Medium size pot
Whisk
Mixer with whisk attachment
Medium bowl
8 inch round baking dish with high sides - you could also separate this into individual ramekins,  though this would change the baking time.


Directions:

• Grease the baking dish with butter then coat with the Parmesan. Refrigerate the dish while you are preparing the souffle. 
• Preheat the oven to 375F.
• In the medium bowl, combine the flour, mustard, garlic, and salt
• In the saucepan heat the butter

•  Whisk in the flour mixture and cook for 2 minutes

• whisk in the hot milk 
• turn the temperature to high and heat till boiling while stirring
• once boiling, turn the temp to low

• whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl and then temper them in

•  whisk in the chunked cheddar over low heat (I also used the leftover Parmesan from coating the baking dish)

• This takes a while, but be sure to whisk until the cheese is completely melted.
• Resist all temptation to drink this, or pour over hot noodles .... or was that just me?

•  In the meantime, beat the egg whites (with the cream of tartar if needed) into stiff peaks
• 1/4 at a time, gently fold the whites into the hot cheese mixture.

•  Pour the fluffy cheesy goodness into the baking dish

•  Bake at 375F for about 35 minutes

 

• Scoop into your serving dishes and serve with a salad, veggies or something healthy (this way you don't feel as guilty while you're sitting on the couch eating the entire baking dish with your spoon)

Cost:

Eggs	0.62
Cheddar	0.56
Butter	0.12
Spices	0.03
Parmesan	0.37
Flour	0.05
Milk	0.3
	2.05