Three Cheese and Bacon Mac'N'Cheese

There are two types of people in this world.

Those who like the crunchy parts and those who like the ooey gooey parts.

Of mac’n’cheese that is.

Not sure what else that could have been construed as, but I’m sure someone out there somehow made it dirty. Gross.

Unfortunately I had to make the crunchy versus cheesy discovery the hard way.

My friends Mckenna and David requested a mac’n’cheese dish last week and of course I hopped right to it.

Partially because I love when people request things for the blog and partially because then I don’t have to think of anything to make.

Yesterday I scoured WAY too many recipes and decided to take what I liked about a couple of them and go it alone.

Just for kicks, go ahead and Google macaroni and cheese recipe and see how many things pop up.

Apparently a majority of this country is eating nothing but macaroni and cheese.

Now I happen to be a cheesy gooey mac lover. So instead of making my cheesy goodness in a long casserole dish, I made it in a deep, circular dish.

Less crunchy top, more gooey center.

Stoked.

Until dinner time came around, and I presented my mac in all its glory.

I was disappointed to realize that everyone at the table who wasn’t named Angela was longing for that crunch top.

Whoops.

The lack of crunch top resulted in one of the people at the dinner table, cough, not Wes or my dad, cough, stabbing at people with a fork when they were going for the crunchy top instead of the cheesy center.

Luckily no one was harmed in the crunch guarding, but it was a close call.

So consider this a chef’s note. If you like the crunchy top, make this in a large 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. If you like the ooey gooey, go ahead and make this in a deep circular dish similar to the one I used.

You will need…

7 tablespoons of butter, divided (into 4, 2 and 1 tablespoons)

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups half and half

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon your favorite hot sauce

8 ounces grated pecorino romano cheese

1 pound pasta shells (I used whole wheat so I didn't feel like this was the most unhealthy thing I've ever made)

3 garlic cloves minced

2 pieces of chopped cooked bacon (whatever your favorite is)

8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

4 ounces grated gruyere cheese

¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs (I like to make mine from yummy croutons)

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

While the oven is heating, fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Cook your pasta to the package specifications once the water has boiled. Go ahead and start your cheese sauce while the water is boiling and pasta is cooking because this takes some time.

When the pasta is just barely cooked (slightly undercooked even) drain the water and add the pasta back into the pot.

While you are waiting for the water to boil/pasta to cook, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat in a heavy, medium sauce pan.

When the butter has melted, add the flour and stir to combine.

Cook the mixture, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the half and half little by little.

Cook until the mixture has thickened.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the salt, pepper, hot sauce and half of the grated pecorino.

Stir until the cheese is melted and the béchamel sauce is smooth.

By now, your pasta should be finished.

Add it back into the pot you cooked it in and add in 2 tablespoons butter, garlic and your bacon and stir to combine.

Then add in your béchamel sauce and stir until well combined.

Use the last of the butter to grease your baking dish of choice.

In a large bowl, combine all of your remaining cheese and make sure it is mixed well.

Then, place 1/3 of the pasta in the bottom of the pepared baking dish.

Top with 1/3 of the mixed cheese.

Repeat the process twice more.

Finally top the dish off with your bread crumbs.

Bake the mac for 40-45 minutes, or until the pasta and cheese is bubbly and hot and the top is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve and try not to fight over who gets what.

No one needs to get hurt over dinner.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Three Cheese and Bacon Mac'N'Cheese

7 tablespoons of butter, divided (into 4, 2 and 1 tablespoons)

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups half and half

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon your favorite hot sauce

8 ounces grated pecorino romano cheese

1 pound pasta shells

3 garlic cloves minced

2 pieces of chopped cooked bacon (whatever your favorite is)

8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

4 ounces grated gruyere cheese

¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs (I like to make mine from yummy croutons)

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

While the oven is heating, fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Cook your pasta to the package specifications once the water has boiled. Go ahead and start your cheese sauce while the water is boiling and pasta is cooking because this takes some time.

When the pasta is just barely cooked (slightly undercooked even) drain the water and add the pasta back into the pot.

While you are waiting for the water to boil/pasta to cook, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat in a heavy, medium sauce pan.

When the butter has melted, add the flour and stir to combine.

Cook the mixture, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the half and half little by little.

Cook until the mixture has thickened.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the salt, pepper, hot sauce and half of the grated pecorino.

Stir until the cheese is melted and the béchamel sauce is smooth.

By now, your pasta should be finished.

Add it back into the pot you cooked it in and add in 2 tablespoons butter, garlic and your bacon and stir to combine.

Then add in your béchamel sauce and stir until well combined.

Use the last of the butter to grease your baking dish of choice.

In a large bowl, combine all of your remaining cheese and make sure it is mixed well.

Then, place 1/3 of the pasta in the bottom of the pepared baking dish.

Top with 1/3 of the mixed cheese.

Repeat the process twice more.

Finally top the dish off with your bread crumbs.

Bake the mac for 40-45 minutes, or until the pasta and cheese is bubbly and hot and the top is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.