SMOKY BACON MAC AND CHEESE
This and the next one (Gruyere Mac and Cheese with Caramelized Onions) are from The TODAY Show and can be viewed at http://www.today.com/food/mac-cheese-2-ways-smoky-bacon-gruyere-caramelized-onions-t108436.
This one begins, “This was the first recipe that was my "thing," back in college. It was the first dish that my friends specifically requested that I make, and the one that I had memorized really well in the event that it needed to be busted out after a long night of partying. It's smoky thanks to the bacon and smoked gouda, and it's got a kick thanks to the pepper jack and cayenne. It's super decadent already, but if I'm really feeling decadent, I'll let the dish of mac and cheese cool overnight in the refrigerator, cut it until squares, and then bread it and deep-fry it.
“Technique Tip: This recipe uses the fat from the bacon to make a roux that will thicken the sauce.
“Swap Option: You can swap out the bacon for turkey bacon, pancetta, another type of salty meat, or simply omit it. If you omit the meat, you can substitute butter for the bacon fat in the roux.”
This recipe can be viewed at http://www.today.com/recipes/smoky-bacon-mac-cheese-recipe-t108432 and serves 4-6.
Ingredients
8 ounces medium shells
12 ounces applewood-smoked bacon
1/4 cup flour
3 cups whole milk
6 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, chopped
3 ounces pepper jack cheese, chopped
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Ketchup, for serving
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
Cook pasta according to the package directions, reducing the cooking time by 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
In a large pan, cook the bacon until crispy. Chop the bacon and set aside. Pour off all but 1/4 cup of the fat in the pan. Heat it over medium-high heat and add the flour, whisking until combined, and then cook for 1 minute. Add half the milk, whisking continuously until thickened, about 5 minutes and then repeat with the other half of the milk. Add the Gouda, pepper jack, and all but 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan and stir until the cheese melts. Stir in the paprika, cayenne, and salt and black pepper to taste.
Fold in the shells and bacon and transfer to the greased baking dish. Top with the panko, a pinch of salt, a few turns of pepper, and the reserved 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until the top is browned, about 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and enjoy with ketchup, if desired.
GRUYERE MAC AND CHEESE WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS
This recipe begins, “One of the only things that can make a perfect thing better is dumping in a bunch of caramelized onions. So I did just that with a version of my mom's mac and cheese, and then added some mustard for a tiny zing. It makes the house smell amazing and makes for a fancier version of my favorite comfort food.
“Technique Tip: You can use this sauce as a base and then add pretty much any cheese you'd like to tailor this recipe to your tastes or whatever cheese you have on hand. Also, in a pinch, you can skip the baking step. Simply cook the pasta fully before stirring it in with the cheese sauce, then serve immediately topped with panko and Parmesan. Alternatively, you can prepare this ahead and keep it in a baking dish in the fridge or freezer until you're ready to bake.
“Swap Option: You can swap out the Gruyere for any other cheese, also other types of milk would work as well, as would gluten free all-purpose flour and gluten free pasta.”
To view this online, go to http://www.today.com/recipes/gruyere-mac-cheese-caramelized-onions-recipe-t108435. This serves 4-6.
Ingredients
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
8 ounces medium shells
1/4 cup flour
3 cups whole milk
6 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Black pepper
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and caramelized.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions, reducing the cooking time by 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
In a large pot, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour, whisking until combined, and then cook for 1 minute. Add half the milk, whisking continuously until thickened, about 5 minutes and then repeat with the other half of the milk. Add the Gruyère, swiss, and all but 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan and stir until the cheese melts. Stir in the paprika, cayenne, nutmeg, mustard, and black pepper and salt to taste. Stir in the pasta and onions.
Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and top with the panko and the reserved Parmesan and bake until the top is browned, about 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and enjoy.
HOMEMADE MACARONI AND CHEESE
I had been looking for a really simple but good homemade macaroni and cheese recipe, and this fits the bill. My daughter and granddaughter had come over on my granddaughter's birthday; while they were here, my daughter whipped up this recipe. She'd been making it for quite a while. It was a definite hit with everyone in the house.
1 box (16 ounce) cannelloni pasta (see Note)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Note: Just about any tubular pasta can be used in this recipe, though it seems to work best with something bigger than elbow macaroni. Some of the better substitutes for the cannelloni would be ziti, penne, rigatoni, or elicoidali.
Turn oven on to 350 degrees.
Cook pasta according to package directions. If the package gives you a bracket – say, 12 – 14 minutes – lean toward the lower time, since you don't want the pasta to be too mushy. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
In a large pot, melt butter on low heat, then add flour, salt, and pepper. Cook on low heat, stirring continuously, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add milk and cook on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes until mixture thickens, stirring continuously.
Remove from heat and add macaroni, stirring it into mixture. Add the shredded cheese, and stir in completely.
Pour mixture into a 13 X 9 inch pan and bake at 350 for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove carefully, as it will be hot. (You knew that, right?) Dig in.
This makes 4 – 5 servings.
Photo: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese, on the left in the blue dish, and Benecol Macaroni and Cheese, on right, in orange casserole dish (from Avon)
BENECOL MACARONI AND CHEESE
For several years, there was a magazine dedicated to walking, titled Walking Magazine. It had many good articles, tips and recipes for those of us who feel a little more comfortable race-walking than running. Unfortunately, the magazine folded several years ago. This recipe was in it during its final year. Serves 4.
1/2 lb. small shell style macaroni
4 Tbs. Benecol
3 Tbs. all purpose flour
3 Tbs. finely chopped onion
1 1/2 C 2% milk, warmed
few drops Tabasco Sauce
1-pint nonfat cottage (or ricotta) cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/2 C flavored bread crumbs
1 Tbs. olive oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-by-9 inch pan liberally with nonstick cooking spray. Cook shells according to package directions, strain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
To prepare sauce, melt Benecol in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Quickly whisk in flour, add onions, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour milk into flour mixture, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Add Tabasco Sauce and cook an additional minute. Whisk in cheese and salt, and blend in shells; transfer mixture to prepared pan.
In small bowl, mix oil and bread crumbs together; spoon over top of macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.
Per Serving: 510 calories; 27.2% calories from fat; 3G saturated fat; 65G carbohydrates; 12MG cholesterol; 612MG sodium; 2G fiber
ONE-POT MAC ’N’ CHEESE
This is from The Food Network, and begins, “This one-pot wonder has humble beginnings: just milk and macaroni. As the pasta cooks, the starch released helps thicken the milk to make the perfect base for a sauce. The cheeses and seasonings are stirred in at the very end, and everything comes together magically.”
Total: 20 min; Active: 10 min; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Easy
To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/one-pot-mac-n-cheese.
Ingredients
4 cups whole milk
3/4 pound elbow macaroni (about 3 cups)
8 ounces mild Cheddar, shredded (about 3 cups)
3 ounces part-skim mozzarella, shredded (about 1 cup)
2 ounces cream cheese, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Large pinch cayenne pepper
Large pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt
Directions
Put the milk and macaroni in a medium saucepan. Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to keep the macaroni from clumping, then cook, stirring frequently, until the macaroni is tender and the milk has thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the Cheddar, mozzarella, cream cheese, butter, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and stir until smooth, thick and creamy. Serve hot. (The dish will thicken as it cools; thin it out with a little hot water if desired.)
Cook's Note
Be sure to buy blocks of cheese and shred it yourself. The pre-shredded cheese that comes in bags is often tossed with starchy cellulose, which can give this mac 'n' cheese a clumpy texture.
CRUSTY MACARONI AND CHEESE
This is from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “Macaroni and cheese may seem an easy proposition. Noodles, cheese. But the secret to this creamy dish with a crunchy and crisp top is American cheese. This is no place for fancy cheeses or fancy noodles. Leave the whole-wheat penne and artisanal orecchiette in the cupboard and bring on the elbow pasta.” Yield: 8 to 12 servings; Time: 1 hour 15 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
12 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
12 ounces American cheese or cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
1 pound elbow pasta, boiled in salted water until just tender, drained, and rinsed under cold water
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
Salt
2/3 cup whole milk
Preparation
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use one tablespoon butter to thickly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Combine grated cheeses and set aside two heaping cups for topping.
In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, cheeses, cayenne (if using) and salt to taste. Place in prepared pan and evenly pour milk over surface. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top, dot with remaining butter and bake, uncovered, 45 minutes. Raise heat to 400 degrees and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until crusty on top and bottom.
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