Monday, January 18, 2010

Cheese with a side of pasta

This was the recipe I made tonight. I got it from here but made some changes based on the things I had on hand. It was even a hit with my nephew that doesn't like cheese. We will address that in another posting....

Ingredients:
4 cups Macaroni
8 Tablespoons Butter
2 whole Medium Onions, Cut In Half And Sliced Thin
10 slices Regular Bacon
1 Tablespoon Bacon Grease (reserved From Bacon Slices)
¼ cups All-purpose Flour
2 cups Whole Or 2% Milk
½ cups Half & Half
2 whole Egg Yolks, Beaten
Salt And Pepper, to taste
½ cups Grated Gruyere Cheese (I used Swiss)
½ cups Grated Fontina Cheese (I used Smoked Gouda)
½ cups Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (I used mozarella)
4 ounces, weight Chevre (soft Goat Cheese) (I used Myzthria)

Preparation Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook macaroni for half the time of the package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Fry bacon until slightly, but not overly, crispy. Drain on a paper towel. Reserve grease.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet and then saute onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown and soft. Set aside.

In a pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter (and add 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon grease for good measure!). Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat for 1 minute. Pour in milk and half & half, then cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until thick. Reduce heat to low. Add salt & pepper to taste. (Do not undersalt!)

Beat egg yolks and drizzle 1/4 cup hot mixture into the yolks, stirring constantly. Stir to combine. Pour egg mixture into sauce and cook for another minute.
Add cheeses and stir until melted. Add onions and bacon and stir. Taste for seasonings and add more salt if needed. Add cooked macaroni and stir to coat.
Pour into a baking dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until sizzling and hot.

Here are my notes:
- the swiss cheese was the strongest flavor so next time I would try Gruyere or use less
- now have another reason to get one of these
- look at your list before you shop so you get the cheese the recipe calls for on the first outing, then get creative

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