These recipes have an abundant amount of cheese!
Recipe #1
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-inch thick piece pancetta, cut into small dice
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 to 7 cups whole milk, heated
4 large egg yolks, lightly whisked
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
2 cups freshly grated Asiago cheese, plus more for the top
1 1/2 cups Irish white Cheddar, plus more for the top
1 1/2 cups Mountain Valley Cheddar, plus more for the top
1 cup grated Fontina cheese, plus more for the top
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for the top
1 pkg. crème’ de Brie
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked just under al dente
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley (we didn’t use because we didn’t have any)
Bread crumbs toasted in butter
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 3 quart baking dish and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
Add the garlic to the pan and cook until lightly golden brown. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in 6 cups of the hot milk, increase the heat to high and cook, whisking constantly until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs until incorporated and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the thyme, cayenne, and all of the cheese until completely melted, season with salt and pepper. If the mixture appears too thick, add some of the remaining milk 1/4 cup at a time.
Place the cooked macaroni in a large bowl, add the cheese sauce, reserved pancetta and parsley and stir until combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Combine together additional Asiago, Cheddars, Fontina, and Parmesan in a bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the macaroni. Top with toasted bread crumbs. Bake in the oven until heated through and the top is lightly golden brown, 45 minutes (45 minutes because it was made in advance and refrigerated). Normally bake about 15 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe #2
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 ½ cups grated Munster cheese
1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese
1 ½ cups grated jack cheese
(You can substitute other cheeses if you like)
1 qt milk
6 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
10 slices bacon
1 pkg elbow macaroni
2 cups bread crumbs
1 tbsp fresh ground nutmeg
Salt & Pepper to taste
1. Pre-heat the oven to 375
2. Cook the bacon until crispy, then chop and set aside
3. Boil the macaroni ‘til not quite done, a bit firm in the middle (al dente), about 5 minutes
4. Add 2 tbsp butter to a skillet over medium heat and when melted, add the bread crumbs. Toast the bread crumbs, stirring or tossing constantly until light golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside
5. Add the remaining butter to a large sauce pan and melt over medium/high heat. Add the flour and stir until smooth (this is a roux).
6. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly to keep the mixture smooth (this is a béchamel). Stir in the nutmeg and a few pinches of salt & pepper.
7. Add the grated cheese mixture to the béchamel, a handful at a time, stirring til it comes together. If the mixture starts to bind, add a little flour ‘til it smoothes out. If the mixture is too thick at the end for mixing with the macaroni, add some milk.
8. In a large mixing bowl, combine the macaroni, bacon and the milk/cheese mixture until well combined. Taste and add salt & pepper as needed.
9. Add the mac ‘n cheese mixture to a buttered baking dish
10. Sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs over the top and bake for about 45 minutes
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