Monday, February 13, 2012

"Best Ever Macaroni and Cheese"

When you see "Best Ever" in a title how can you not try it, and then try to make it better.  I watch "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" all the time and so I get ideas from the chefs on the show. Many times the chefs on the show have an awesome recipe for mac and cheese, and there is usually one thing in common (other than the obvious pasta and cheese) and that is bacon pieces.  I believe that bacon and Mac and Cheese just belong together and so with this recipe I did add bacon and used bacon grease as a substitute for one tablespoon of butter.


I must warn you, this is a very rich recipe and I would suggest using it as a side dish with the rest of the meal being very lite.  My husband and I made the mistake of eating it as the main dish and let my tell you, I could only eat about half a serving before feeling full, the hubby wasn't so aware of his stomach, just that he liked the food,and he made himself sick by eating too much.


I halved this recipe and it was still enough to feed a family of 4-6 as a side dish.  I would recommend at least halving it if not more, unless you intend to feed many.  I could never fathom a time where I would need to make the whole recipe.






  • 1/2-3/4 cup of panko bread crumbs (they have a great crunch — use any kind of bread crumbs you like)
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
  • 5 1/2 cups milk (skim works just fine, so save yourself the fat)
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I used 1/8 tsp)
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (I used 1/8 tsp)
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (Leave this out if you don’t want the heat)
  • 4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp cheddar
  • 2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère or Monterey jack 
  • 1 pound radiatore pasta (or whatever kind of pasta you like — the radiatore’s groves really held onto all that cheese sauce)






















1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside.
2. Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add pasta; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer’s directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the pasta to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well.
3. For the panko, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan.  Add 1/2-3/4 cup of panko and toast until coated in butter and golden brown.  Set aside.
4. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
5. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
6. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or Monterey Jack. Set cheese sauce aside.  (Adjust the seasonings to your liking.  I thought the full amount of nutmeg and black pepper was too strong, so I cut it in half.)
7. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.
8. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyere or Monterey Jack ; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.


I added about 6-10 slices of bacon and after frying it up and setting it aside I reserved a tablespoon of the drippings to substitute for the butter.  I added the bacon pieces when I added the cheese and it mixed very well.  I also used a Colby jack cheese because I could not find any Monterey jack cheese in the stores up here (a common occurrence).


Tip: Usually I like a lot of cheese but I could have done without the extra cheese on top, I feel that it over powered the dish and added to richness, which was not needed. I would also recommend using panko breadcrumbs, they add the element of crunch to the dish and makes it so much better.




ENJOY!

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