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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Sh Ikram
[email protected]This mac and cheese is delicious! It's so creamy and cheesy, and the breadcrumb topping is the perfect finishing touch. I love that I can use different types of cheese to create different flavor combinations.
Sona Chandi
[email protected]This is the best mac and cheese recipe I've ever tried. It's so easy to make and always turns out perfectly. The cheese sauce is creamy and flavorful, and the pasta is cooked to perfection. I will definitely be making this again and again.
koki bendj
[email protected]This mac and cheese is amazing! It's so creamy and cheesy, and the breadcrumb topping is the perfect finishing touch. I love that I can use different types of cheese to create different flavor combinations.
meshall williams
[email protected]I'm so glad I found this recipe. It's the best mac and cheese I've ever had. It's so easy to make and always turns out perfectly. The cheese sauce is creamy and flavorful, and the pasta is cooked to perfection. I will definitely be making this again.
Zaib Qureshi
[email protected]This mac and cheese is delicious! It's so creamy and cheesy, and the breadcrumb topping is the perfect finishing touch. I love that I can use different types of cheese to create different flavor combinations.
belema wokoma daminabo
[email protected]This is the best mac and cheese recipe I've ever tried. It's so easy to make and always turns out perfectly. The cheese sauce is creamy and flavorful, and the pasta is cooked to perfection. I will definitely be making this again and again.
Ben Henry
[email protected]This mac and cheese is amazing! It's so creamy and cheesy, and the breadcrumb topping is the perfect finishing touch. I love that I can use different types of cheese to create different flavor combinations.
sojon mia
[email protected]I'm so glad I found this recipe. It's the best mac and cheese I've ever had. It's so easy to make and always turns out perfectly. The cheese sauce is creamy and flavorful, and the pasta is cooked to perfection. I will definitely be making this again.
Juazzie azzie
[email protected]This mac and cheese is delicious! It's so creamy and cheesy, and the breadcrumb topping is the perfect finishing touch. I love that I can use different types of cheese to create different flavor combinations.
Sylvia. Cottonwood
[email protected]This is the best mac and cheese recipe I've ever tried. It's so easy to make and always turns out perfectly. The cheese sauce is creamy and flavorful, and the pasta is cooked to perfection. I will definitely be making this again and again.
Vijitha Santhakumara
[email protected]This mac and cheese is the best! It's so creamy and cheesy, and the breadcrumb topping is the perfect finishing touch. I love that I can use different types of cheese to create different flavor combinations.
Muhammad shokat
[email protected]I'm not a huge fan of mac and cheese, but this recipe changed my mind. It's so creamy and cheesy, and the breadcrumb topping is the perfect finishing touch. I will definitely be making this again.
Iqbal Hussen
[email protected]This is my new go-to mac and cheese recipe. It's so easy to make and always turns out delicious. I love that I can use different types of cheese to create different flavor combinations.
Don Osaps
[email protected]I made this mac and cheese for my family last night and they loved it! It was so easy to make and it turned out perfectly. The cheese sauce was creamy and flavorful, and the pasta was cooked to perfection. I will definitely be making this again.
Jason McDade
[email protected]This mac and cheese is amazing! It's so creamy and cheesy, and the breadcrumb topping is the perfect finishing touch. I will definitely be making this again.
Seer Amanuel
[email protected]This is the best mac and cheese I've ever had! I love the combination of cheeses and the crispy breadcrumb topping. It's the perfect comfort food.
Xo_shina_xo
[email protected]I've made this mac and cheese recipe several times and it's always a hit. It's so easy to make and always turns out creamy and cheesy. I love that I can use different types of cheese to create different flavor combinations.
AHSAN ARAIN 786
[email protected]This mac and cheese recipe is absolutely delicious! It's creamy, cheesy, and has the perfect amount of spice. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly. My family loved it!