The Best Mac & Cheese I’ve EVER Had
The other day I had a really bad day at work. You know the type of day I’m talking about, you are annoyed, stressed, tired and generally feeling a little mentally beat up. It was also a REALLY ugly day here in New York City weather wise- sleeting, snowing, raining, cold and gross. I was heading home NOT planning on cooking dinner and relying on leftovers instead when I started thinking “I kind of want something EXTRA delicious today”, because it’s been such a crap day. Then I started thinking about the things I had in my fridge—cheese: Parmesan, Cheddar, and Gruyere. Milk, butter, heavy cream, yes, yes, yes! Bacon, pssh, of COURSE! So I decided to make the best Mac & Cheese I’ve ever had in my life.
The process of making a basic béchamel sauce is definitely something you need to master and add to your repertoire. This adds a really rich, creamy element to your dishes. The key is to not burn your roux AND heat the milk prior so that your result is creamy and smooth. Think about using a homemade béchamel the next time your recipe might call for a “cream of” whatever. I’m not a casserole type of gal, but if you are, consider a nice at-home version as opposed to something that might come out of the can.
I’m going to add that for whatever reason making a béchamel is kind of a therapeutic and sensual experience. It’s definitely all the whisking and creamy cheese that is involved. Who doesn’t love a saucepan full of what is essentially ooey, gooey cheese?
This recipe was SO satisfying and delicious. It’s definitely a decadent, stick to your ribs type of dish, so maybe reserve it only for your worst of days. When my boyfriend grabbed his bowl, he put it down for two seconds and our scavenger cat RAN to the bowl with a speed I’ve never seen before and quickly grabbed a piece of bacon off of the top! The bastard. He knows a good thing when he smells it! I can honestly say that this Mac N Cheese holds up to many of the gourmet versions I’ve had at the fancy pants restaurants in Manhattan. I’m thinking next time I may play with a little truffle oil in the recipe, NOW THAT’S an idea!
The perfect beverage accompaniment in my opinion was a sweet tea vodka. Whenever I make something that is mildly reminiscent of a Southern dish, say Chicken fried steak or Buttermilk fried chicken, I reach for this drink. My best friend introduced me to Sweet Tea Vodka a few years ago down in Charleston, SC. The brand that comes out of there is Firefly, which I love. It wasn’t available up North near me until about a year and a half ago. You serve it with a little bit of water and a sprig of mint and it’s fantastic! It also comes in flavored varieties like Peach and Raspberry, which are also equally as nice.
• 1 pound dry pasta (recommended: elbow macaroni, shells, penne, etc.)
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
• 1 cup, plus 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 6 slices bacon, cooked, reserve 1/4 cup rendered bacon fat
BECHAMEL SAUCE:
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cups hot whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
In skillet, cook the bacon until crispy and golden brown. Remove the cooked bacon from the skillet, reserving 3 tablespoons rendered bacon fat.
Make the béchamel sauce:
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or an oven-safe skillet. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, avoid browning, about 2 minutes. (You can also opt to make your roux with the bacon fat you have left over after cooking the bacon AND reserving a bit for the breadcrumbs). The texture that you are looking for is one of almost a clumping sand. I know that sounds disgusting, but this is how you know you are doing it right!
Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring the sauce to a boil. Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper, to taste. Reduce the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until nearing al dente, but not fully cooked; drain.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Over low heat, stir the dry mustard and cayenne pepper into the béchamel sauce. Gradually add the Cheddar, Gruyere, and 1 cup Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until all of the cheese has melted into the béchamel sauce. Add an additional cup of milk and cream. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed.
Transfer pasta and béchamel to an oven safe casserole dish and stir to coat evenly with the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, chopped parsley, and reserved bacon fat. Coat the bread crumbs and chopped parsley with bacon fat and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the macaroni. Sprinkle the top with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
Bake until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Top with crumbled cooked bacon. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
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