White Cheddar and Bacon Mac & Cheese
TIME/SERVINGS
Total: 1 hour
Active: 30 minutes
Makes: 8-10 servings
This recipe was part of the Food Fight: Macaroni and Cheese Challenge. This contest ended on Friday, February 29, 2008, 5PM PST. View all the winners!
By whirlygirly
This is heavily adapted from a Tyler Florence recipe. Actually, I’ve never tried the original recipe as written- I made several changes the first time I tried it, and more the next time- you know how it goes!
Anyway, this is what I ended up with. It’s definitely not diet-friendly, but everyone sure seems to love it.
1 lb large elbow macaroni
Kosher salt
1 qt half and half
2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 or 4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 lb thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
Fresh thyme leaves, about 1-2 sprigs’ worth
2 T unsalted butter
2-3 T all-purpose flour
1 1/2 lb white cheddar, shredded
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup Italian style panko breadcrumbs
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni, and cook til al dente (about 8-9 minutes). Drain.
Preheat the oven to 400°.
In a large, deep skillet cook the bacon til crispy. Drain off the excess fat and add the chopped onion and thyme leaves (if you really love garlic, chop up a couple cloves and add them here too!) and cook until the onion is translucent. Remove the bacon-onion mixture to a bowl and set aside.
Add the butter to the pan and let it melt, then whisk in the flour to make a roux. Strain the solids out of the half and half and add it to the pan, whisking til smooth. Add all but a couple handfuls of the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.- In a large bowl, mix together the macaroni, sauce, and bacon-onion mixture. Add the parsley, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a large baking dish. Toss the remaining cheese with the breadcrumbs and scatter on top.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot & bubbly and the top is golden brown.
Member recipes are not tested by the CHOW food team.
COMMENTS | ADD YOUR OWN
I made a half-recipe of this and am currently licking the bowl from the leftovers. I am embarassed to say I finished it in less than three servings...it's addicting!
It is key to get the bacon really crispy. I also used double the thyme and thought I could have used even more, but I really like that herb. Also, the baking time could be halved if you wanted a saucier mac. But just sticking to the recipe will still yield an awesome dish!
I made this yesterday and it was awesome. I didn't have enough white cheddar so I made up the difference with gruyere and parmesan. This was even better a few hours later after it set up more. I ate another helping at room temp. Wow!
Thanks, to both of you! I really appreciate the feedback. It's funny, willygreen, last time I made it I did exactly the same thing!
i'd love to know if someone has made the original tyler florence recipe AND this one. i always loved the way his sounded, and i'd be curious to hear the results of a side-by-side comparison.
btw, whirlygirly, i am by no means questioning the quality of your recipe...it sounds outrageously delicious.
whirlygirly, I don't know if you're still reading comments about this recipe, but, in case you are... THANK YOU! Wow, what a terrific mac 'n' cheese! I made this on a whim (and, well, because I happened to have all the ingredients except for elbow macaroni, so I used shells). My husband and I both absolutely loved it. We ate it for dinner with a simple salad of iceberg and sweet peppers for 4 nights in a row. Instead of getting bored, we both pouted when there was no more--it seems to get better as leftovers. We'll definitely be making this one again!