THE BEST MAC & CHEESE EVER - REALLY!
So,Emeril had this national mac & cheese contest and this is the winning recipe. Yes, it takes a bit longer to make, but it oh so worth it. Got rave reviews every time I've made it and will never use another mac & cheese recipe again.
Provided by Mary Beam
Categories Pasta
Time 1h15m
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- 2. To roast garlic: Slice ½ inch off the top of the entire head of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap garlic head tightly in a square of heavy foil and roast until tender - about 45 minutes. Remove garlic pulp by squeezing garlic head. Smash cloves with a fork to form a paste.
- 3. Cook pasta according to package directions.
- 4. Cook bacon completely. Drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Crumble bacon when cool.
- 5. To make topping: Combine breadcrumbs, crumbled bacon, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Set aside.
- 6. Turn the oven up to 375 degrees.
- 7. Sauté shallots over low heat in reserved bacon fat for one minute. Add remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and continue to sauté shallots in butter and bacon fat until translucent.
- 8. Add flour and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Increase heat to medium. Stirring constantly with a whisk, add milk and roasted garlic paste.
- 9. Cook until sauce is thickened (coats the back of a spoon). Remove sauce from heat then add salt, pepper, nutmeg, Gruyere and Cheddar cheeses. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
- 10. Stir in cooked pasta. Pour into baking dish. Sprinkle topping to cover entire top. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until sauce is bubbly and topping is browned. Enjoy!
- 11. Hints: ....Roast the garlic well ahead, because you'll need to let it cool, or you'll burn your fingers squeezing out the pulp. Learned this the hard way! Also, I baked mine for 15 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered and it was perfect.
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Natasja Smit
[email protected]This mac and cheese is so cheesy and delicious. It's the perfect comfort food.
Asim jan Jokhio
[email protected]I'm always looking for new ways to make mac and cheese. This recipe is definitely a winner!
omfoo martin
[email protected]This mac and cheese is the perfect comfort food for a cold winter day.
Kamisha Adams
[email protected]I love that this recipe can be made in one pot. It makes cleanup a breeze.
Miltok63
[email protected]This recipe is a great way to use up leftover macaroni.
Majid Ridwan
[email protected]I made this mac and cheese for my kids and they devoured it. They even asked for seconds!
Laura Cumbe
[email protected]I'm not a big fan of macaroni, but I loved this recipe. The cheese sauce is so creamy and flavorful.
Shanii Ladra
[email protected]This mac and cheese is the perfect side dish for a summer cookout.
Temmy Tush
[email protected]I love the crispy breadcrumb topping on this mac and cheese. It adds a nice textural contrast.
Maryam nawaz
[email protected]I'm always looking for new mac and cheese recipes. This one is definitely going into my rotation.
Sarwar
[email protected]This mac and cheese is so easy to make. I was able to whip it up in under 30 minutes.
Tamara Rivera
[email protected]I'm a vegetarian, so I used nutritional yeast instead of cheese in my mac and cheese. It was still delicious!
Mehraab Shoro
[email protected]I added some cooked bacon to my mac and cheese and it was amazing! It took the dish to the next level.
Joya Tannous
[email protected]I love that this recipe uses sharp cheddar cheese. It gives the mac and cheese a really bold flavor.
Kids Twenty
[email protected]This mac and cheese is the perfect comfort food. It's cheesy, gooey, and oh-so-delicious.
Muhammad Amir Shahzad
[email protected]I'm not a big fan of mac and cheese, but this recipe changed my mind. It's so flavorful and satisfying.
sujina Lama
[email protected]I made this mac and cheese for a potluck and it was a huge hit! Everyone raved about how creamy and cheesy it was.
Asharye Sancko
[email protected]This recipe is a keeper! The mac and cheese was delicious and everyone loved it.
Supreeya Lama
[email protected]I've tried a lot of mac and cheese recipes, but this one is by far the best. It's so easy to make and always turns out perfectly.
Zahoor
[email protected]This mac and cheese is the real deal! It's creamy, cheesy, and has the perfect amount of crunch from the breadcrumb topping. I'll definitely be making this again and again.