the best mac & cheese ever - really!
(1 rating)
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.
(1 rating)
yield
12 - 16
prep time
1 Hr
cook time
15 Min
Ingredients For the best mac & cheese ever - really!
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1head of garlic roasted
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1 tspolive oil
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1 lbcavatappi pasta
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1/2 lbapplewood smoked bacon
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1 1/2 cfresh white bread crumbs, 5 slices, crusts removed
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1/2 cgrated parmesan cheese
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8 Tbspbutter
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1/4 cminced shallots
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1/2 cflour
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1 qtwhole milk
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6 ozgruyere cheese, grated
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8 ozextra sharp cheddar, grated
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1/2 tspblack pepper
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1 tspsalt
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1/4 tspnutmeg
How To Make the best mac & cheese ever - really!
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1Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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2To 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.
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3Cook pasta according to package directions.
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4Cook bacon completely. Drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Crumble bacon when cool.
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5To make topping: Combine breadcrumbs, crumbled bacon, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Set aside.
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6Turn the oven up to 375 degrees.
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7Sauté 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.
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8Add flour and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Increase heat to medium. Stirring constantly with a whisk, add milk and roasted garlic paste.
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9Cook 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.
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10Stir 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!
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11Hints: ....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.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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