Nov 26, 2012
Really, really good, with a lot of potential. I may have overdone the smoked Gouda, and would use half smoked, half non-smoked next time (or maybe 75/25), as the smoky flavor was a titch overwhelming (but I'm not a huge fan of smoky flavors). I used about 4 cups of half and half, and a cup and a half of whole milk, and Provolone in place of the Swiss (not a fan of the Swiss cheese, although to be fair, I should have given it a chance in this dish). I also used Trader Joe's whole wheat rotini, and may change that next time, although the ridges held the sauce beautifully. The only other change I made was to use melted butter over the Panko and parm mix instead of olive oil. This recipe proves that it's only as good as the ingredients. Use the best you can afford, as it makes a difference. Reheats wonderfully. I know it annoys me when people people rate a recipe up or down based on their changes, but I think this recipe lends itself to easy, personal- preference changes. If you don't like Swiss, don't use Swiss. If you don't like spicy, don't use the red pepper in the crust (or double it, like I did). Wonderfully adaptable, but I promise to try it exactly as written next time, with more adaptations the time after. There WILL be a next time. Next times. We're all fighting over the left-overs, and that seldom happens in my house. One of the best recipes I've run across here, and that's saying a LOT. Thank you for an easy, delicious, unlimited- possibilities recipe!
—Trixie
