Daily Plate: Soufflé for One

Sometimes I get in these moods (usually when I have a lot of work I should be doing) where I feel like cooking something a little more elaborate. It’s one of my favorite ways to calm down after a hectic day or to kill time.

I first got into soufflés when we learned how to make them in my Intro to Food Science lab. Unfortunately, Chris is not a fan of eggs, so whenever I make them, I have to either decide to make a few and freeze or just scale down the recipe and make a soufflé for one. After a few times of doing the math in my head, I finally just typed it all up to keep it simple.

These are great served with a side salad or a nice bowl of soup.

Ingredients
2-1/4 teaspoons butter or margarine
2-1/4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar or Swiss cheese
1 egg, separated
salt and pepper to taste


Directions
In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, mustard and cayenne until smooth; gradually add the milk. bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in cheese until melted. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.

In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into egg yolk mixture. Pour into four greased 10-oz. souffle dishes or ramekins. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve immediately.