Finally, I tried cooking with kimchi and it was successful. I have always enjoyed German sauerkraut and even grew my own cabbage when I had a big garden and made homemade sauerkraut. My hubby and Dad both loved it and they were special men in my life and their opinion was always appreciated. It was definitely different from what you buy in a jar.
I knew the Korean kimchi was similar to sauerkraut as they are two different versions of fermented cabbage. That is the only similarity as sauerkraut is made from shredded cabbage and its results are tart. Perfect alongside a plate of kielbasa or with a hot dog. Kimchi adds ingredients such as hot peppers, garlic, vegetables, fruits, fish sauce and is saltier than sauerkraut. Kimchi can kick up a plate of rice or in this instance macaroni and cheese. They are made differently and possess unique qualities.
Regardless, they are both “healthy” foods, high in fiber, antioxidants and Vitamin B and C.
Recently I became more interested in kimchi when I signed up for a virtual class to make kimchi from scratch. Zingerman’s Bakehouse offered a 2 hour virtual class demonstration. My sister and niece signed up for it too so we were kind of together even though we live in three different states.
I did the fermenting bit with green cabbage for a few years but decided there are so many brands of kimchi that I would buy it instead. Yes, that is me in the overalls standing next to my row of cabbage transplants. By the way, I grew just about everything from seed back then…
I joined in with a few of the events given by Cherry Bombe from Nov. 18-24th (see Friendsgiving Fun)
One of my favorites was a cooking class/demonstration which zoomed on Nov. 19th starring Dzung Lewis. From her new cookbook “The Honeysuckle Cookbook” she made a mac and cheese with a little “kick” from kimchi and gochujang.
Kimchi Mac and Cheese
- 1 lb. elbow macaroni (while zooming Dzung said you could use rotini, penne, cavatappi) – I used mezzi rigatoni (I would cut back the pasta to 12 oz. and probably use elbow the next time)
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp. EVOO
- 4 tbsp. Kerrygold unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 2 cups whole milk (warmed in the microwave)
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. gochujang
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 cups Gruyere, shredded
- 4 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
- 1 cup Kimchi, packed (see Note) and roughly chopped – I used a 5.64 oz. can and did not include the juice (include next time)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water (1-2 tsp.) to a rapid boil. Add the pasta and boil for 4 minutes only. Drain and rinse with cold water; set aside.
Put the panko crumbs in a bowl and sprinkle with the olive oil; mix until the panko is evenly moist; set aside.
In a heavy bottomed ovenproof pot (I used my Staub) melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for a minute or two. Slowly pour in the warm milk and whisk to get ride of any clumps.
Whisk in the mustard, gochujang, nutmeg and salt. Continue to stir with a wooden spoon until the sauce coats the back of the spoon; just a few minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted.
Remove from the heat and add the pasta and kimchi. Mix until the pasta is completely coated. Top with the panko mixture and transfer the pot to the oven.
I cooked my mac and cheese for 35 minutes and then turned on the broiler briefly to brown the topping more. If you have a shallow casserole dish cook it less. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Note 1: When it comes to kimchi there are a lot of choices. They all have cabbage but then differences start to appear. I bought two; one from The Brinery – a local company and another through Amazon.
The Brinery – ingredients are Napa cabbage, carrots, apple, onion, fresh ginger root, garlic, filtered water and sea salt.
Jayone Foods – ingredients are cabbage, radish, red pepper powder, sugar, salted anchovy, salted shrimp, garlic, leek and ginger (the one I used in my mac and cheese).
As you can see ingredients can vary quite a bit. I would shop for this in person so you can see all of the ingredients.
Note 2: I will try and jazz up the flavor more the next time. The Kimchi and the gochujang did not come through enough – some people might like that though. Also, Dzung’s mac and cheese had a deep red color to it (she used a different brand of kimchi) and mine did not even though I used the Jayone brand. I will add the juice next time and that might help the color.
Note 3: I found the mac and cheese to be a little dry. I will cut back the pasta to 12 oz. and use elbow macaroni. We all know how pasta absorbs the sauce it is in.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
This kitchen gadget is perfect when you need 6 cups of grated cheese…
This is a favorite Staub casserole – note the vegetables on the lid!
I reheated the mac and cheese to have with my scaled down Thanksgiving dinner – the noodles did become “mushy” as Dzung said but the flavor was still delicious. I added more milk and cheese to get a smoother dish as the pasta soaked up all the sauce.
Yum, a great combination:) If it’s not too much to ask, please consider following me on Instagram @madebybernadine . Have a lovely day!
Thanks – you know I don’t participate in Instagram or Twitter and barely Facebook with just a few family members – Pinterest I like – sorry 🙂
No problem 😌
Such an original and interesting twist on traditional mac and cheese! I love both kimchi and gochujang, so will definitely keep this in mind! 🙂
Fermented foods are very popular – Kimchi is very palatable and you can add it to many dishes. Sauerkraut on the other hand isn’t and its losing its place to Kimchi. I will be using it more, just need to find a brand I really like or try making it. I’m thinking it would be great in a stir-fry 🙂
Kimchi is indeed very flavorful and versatile. A few years ago I had some tasty dishes with it, in a Korean restaurant. The one I liked the most was Kimchi fritters. So good! 🙂
Kimchi Pancakes is in Dzung’s cookbook and as I mentioned to Mimi that recipe is next on my list. Now, after the both of you have raved about it I am anxious to make it 🙂
Looking forward to seeing your post about it. I tried it once, but was not happy with the results. Guess it’s all about the kimchi, but I’m not up to making it myself…
I like kimchi…and I like Mac ‘n cheese. Sounds like a match made in Heaven. 😋🍂
Me too Gail – hope to have fun experimenting with Kimchi. I mean if it’s good in mac and cheese the sky is the limit for other dishes 🙂
This looks good, and I can imagine how great this pasta dish is. I made kimchi last year, and made kimchi pancakes, which were fabulous. So good I could hardly stop eating them! Will have to check out that book again… Staub has the prettiest colors!
Thanks – I need to work on the recipe, mainly finding a brand of Kimchi I like. I made my own sauerkraut for a few years and decided not to try making my own Kimchi – maybe I will have to! You mention pancakes well her book has a recipe and that is my next kimchi experiment 🙂 Basil green is a beautiful color…
I wanted to buy Le Grande Oven in basil green, but I wasn’t fast enough, and they’re out!
That’s too bad – I know they don’t make the casserole dish I used in this recipe any more. It must have been a special Christmas offering.
Oh boy! I love this – I would never have thought to spice my Mac & Cheese this way.
Yum! I know this is good. Kimchi goes so well with cheddar! I made a batch of kimchi once but I’m the only one who eats it in this house!!!