Grown up Mac and Cheese

cookiedog's Note:

Another one of Ina's delicious recipes!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

• 4 ounces thick-sliced bacon
• vegetable oil
• kosher salt
• 2 cups elbow macaroni or 2 cups cavatappi pasta
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 ounces gruyere cheese , grated
• 3 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese , grated
• 2 ounces blue cheese , such as Roquefort, crumbled
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 2 slices white bread , crusts removed
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.
3. Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
4. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan do not let it come to a boil. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Take off the heat and add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.
5. Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Reviews

[CaliforniaJan]

This is the ultimate comfort food. Heavenly flavor and easy to put together. These were generous servings, we made as directed and it fed the two of us - twice! Made for 1-2-3 tag. Yum!

[Kumquat the Cat's friend]

Truly excellent mac and cheese. I wanted to post it myself but noticed that cookiedog had already done so. My BF and SIL served it for me for Christmas 2009, without the bacon because I'm vegetarian. This is not the ultimate mac and cheese, just the best "grown up" mac and cheese. I think the blue cheese makes it. I really enjoyed this a lot. It's not low-fat though! Also, 2 servings seems inappropriate, I think it's more like 4! Thanks for the recipe; too bad I couldn't post it (heh heh).

[Peachie Keene]

Oh no, I'm the odd one out! This was good, but not as great as I expected it to be. I keep searching for the best home-made version of mac & cheese, and have yet to find one that blows me away :(