No meat and three

A meat and three is the classic Southern combo meal. But for years I’ve gone with the trinity of “vegetable” side dishes—which are likely to include meat for flavoring and/or  a non-vegetable but vegetarian side—and skipped the meat.

I make a these “no meat and three” meals a few times each month to connect with the flavors of my Southern upbringing. And last night’s dinner of turnip greens with apples, baked curried sweet potato fries and my Mom’s classic macaroni and cheese was one of my best of such undertakings.

I purchased the turnip greens and sweet potatoes this weekend at farmers’ market in Jacksonville, Fla., and I used a modified version of a turnip green recipe from Gourmet’s final issue, subbing tasso ham for ham hock and omitting the turnip root (just because I couldn’t find any). William and I loved the combination of bitter greens, sweet apples and smokey pork. 

I tossed the sweet potatoes in olive oil, sea salt and hot curry powder (for an unexpected kick) and roasted them alongside bubbling baking mac and cheese. My mother always spurned the instant Kraft variety and spoiled us instead with real milk, butter and cheddar. Her recipe is after the jump. A classic pairing for any Southern-style vegetable, it’s the rich, fattening meat replacement that I crave for our no meat and threes. 

Classic Macaroni and Cheese
1/2 pound macaroni noodles (2 cups uncooked)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
Dash fresh nutmeg
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°. Butter a deep 9″ glass pie dish. 

Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain. 

Meanwhile, on medium heat, melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add flour, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Pour in milk, and continue to stir, breaking up any lumps with the whisk. Still stirring, bring the thickened bèchamel to a boil, and cook 1 minute more. 

Remove the sauce from the heat, and stir in the salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg. Add a large handful of the cheese, and stir until it melts into the sauce. Add noodles to the sauce, and stir until combined. Pour macaroni and cheese mixture into the pie dish, top with remaining cheese, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until gold and bubbling. 

Serves 4 to 6

Tagged as: apples, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato, turnip greens