I may be more than six weeks late to the National Macaroni and Cheese Month party, but every month is Macaroni and Cheese Month for this girl, so I'm still celebrating. I first discovered the event via Michelle at Brown Eyed Baker - one of my must-check sites that also happens to be a Pittsburgh food blog (though clearly her appeal extends beyond the Burgh!). From Brown Eyed Baker, I went over to the official Mac and Cheese Month blog, and hoooooooeeeeeey! If there was ever a website created just for me, this is it. For proof, see the college story in this post.

Seriously. Mushroom mac? You betcha. Spiced apple mac? You know it. And on, and on, and on. My Delicious bookmark button is getting a cramp from this site, as are the tags "pasta" and "cheese." Watch out, Wisconsin Milk Board. I'm officially stalking you.

For instance: a couple weeks ago, I happened upon this recipe in an old issue of Bon Appetit. The following week, my coworkers and I began obsessively consuming Au Bon Pain mac and cheese for lunch - sometimes with a ladle of tomato soup on top. The week after that, Scheidt went to Reno for work for a week, and I knew I had my chance. First of all, I wouldn't have to share. (Again, see the college story in this post.) And second, there would be no one around to lecture me about eating the same thing for seven meals in a row. Yes, including breakfast.

This mac and cheese is breakfast good and weeknight fast and easy. First of all, you don't have to make a true béchamel. Second, although you will use up a lot of pots and pans (pasta pot, sauce pot, shallot pan, baking dish), you'll be eating in 35 minutes. Third, when you are eating it, every once in a while you'll be ambushed by a tangy cloud of creamy goat cheese.

What's the best mac and cheese you've ever had?

Macaroni and Cheese with Caramelized Shallots
Adapted from Epicurious

2 tablespoons butter plus more for the dish
3 large shallots, sliced
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
1 cup cream
1 cup whole milk*
2 teaspoons hot sauce
8 ounces coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup crumbled soft goat cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a large casserole dish.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook five minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning and sticking. Reduce the heat to medium, keep the pan covered, and cook six minutes more, until shallots are deep brown.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions for al dente. Based on those instructions, add the broccoli florets to the pot when about five minutes remain. Strain the pasta and broccoli, and transfer them to the baking dish.

Meanwhile #2**: prepare the cheese sauce. Bring the cream, milk and hot sauce to a simmer in a medium saucepan. In a medium bowl, toss the shredded cheddar with the flour. Add the cheese and flour to the milk mixture, whisking until it is smooth and creamy, and heating until it just barely comes back to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta in the baking dish as evenly as you can. Stir gently to combine. Top with caramelized shallots and goat cheese crumbles. Bake for 10 minutes, then switch the oven to broil and cook until the goat cheese just begins to brown.

Feeds one person for many meals. Or feeds 6-8.

*You can also substitute two cups of half and half for the cream and milk.
**You could use the pasta pot for this if having fewer dishes to do is more important to you than eating in a jiffy.