This is a recipe that serves around six people. If you’re going to be serving a group of adults, you may want to consider doubling the ingredients list. It is so good that you can be sure everyone is coming back for seconds. I usually just make it as a side dish and what is listed is enough for our family of four. The leftovers warm up nicely too! Check out what they are saying about this recipe over at Serious Eats:
” Cheese! Cheese! And bacon!”
Do you really need to hear anything else to be sold on this recipe? Tons of cheese and crumbly bacon with a crunchy topping. Ah-maze-ing!
Ingredients
1 pound 2 ounces dried Mueller’s elbow macaroni
7 ounces cooked bacon or pork belly (or any leftover smoked meat), cut into chunks
2 cups bread crumbs
3 1/2 tablespoons Smoked Bacon Rub
3 1/2 ounces Kraft cheddar, grated
Cheese Sauce
Generous 2½ cups whole milk
1/2 stick Land O’ Lakes butter
2 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
1/2 cup fold Medal all-purpose flour
4 1/2 ounces Colston Bassett Stilton or Stichelton cheese, grated
4 1/2 ounces Montgomery cheddar cheese, grated
4 1/2 ounces Ogleshield (or Gruyère) cheese, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Instructions
Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, then refresh in cold water and drain again. Put into a large bowl and add the cooked bacon or pork belly.
To make the cheese sauce, put the milk into a medium pan, bring to a foamy boil, then reduce the heat to low and keep warm.
In another pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and thyme leaves, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the onions and garlic are just caramelizing and soft.
Whisk in the flour and continue to cook until a pale “roux” has formed. Then, whisking steadily, ladle the hot milk into the roux a cupful at a time, completely incorporating each amount before adding the next.
After all the milk has been added, continue to whisk until the sauce thickens and bubbles gently (about 2 minutes).
Add the stilton, cheddar, Ogleshield (or Gruyère), salt, and pepper, and stir until completely melted.
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Stir three-quarters of the cheese sauce into the cooked pasta and bacon. Layer the pasta in a large ovenproof gratin dish and spread the rest of the cheese sauce evenly over the top.
Lightly toast the bread crumbs and mix with the bacon rub and grated cheddar, then scatter evenly over the top layer of cheese sauce.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.
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Quick Tip: Add more milk for a creamier sauce.
Thanks again to Serious Eats for this mouthwatering recipe.