Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Macaroni n' Cha Cha Cheese







Ahhh...the things Macaroni n' Cheese can do for the soul. It cures depression, anxiety, stress, erectile dysfunction (yes, indeedy), etc. It's creamy deliciousness can turn a bad day into a day of bliss. It can also rid you of that cheese that's about to spoil if you don't do something with it soon. Here's my recipe for the best Mac n' Cha Cha Cheese:

1 box of macaroni (boiled according to package instructions)
6 slices of cooked bacon
3 tablespoons of flour
3 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 cup of milk (for extra creamy m&c I use 1/2 cup of half n half & 1/2 cup of milk)
Then for the cheese, I use whatever's in my fridge. For this particular recipe I used about 2 oz. of blue cheese, 2 oz. of Gruyere and about 1 cup of a cheddar/monterey jack mix.
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup of bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
salt n pepper

Cook macaroni, strain and set aside. In a large saucepan melt butter and saute onion until soft. Mix in garlic and cook for an additional minute. Mix in flour to create a roux. Cook flour for about 2 minutes so you don't get a gluish taste. Add in milk and bring to a boil, stirring like a mad man so as to not scold the milk. Reduce mixture to a simmer and allow to thicken.

Once the mixture is thick enough that it coats a wooden spoon, add in cheese and stir until cheese is melted and mixture is creamy goodness. Add in cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste. Then mix in crumbled bacon bits. (Do not use baco's or I will hunt you down and kill you).

Add macaroni to the cheese mixture (I add macaroni in slowly. Sometimes I have enough cheese sauce for the entire box of macaroni, sometimes I don't, so I eyeball it). Transfer mac n' cheese mix to a large casserole dish. Top with the breadcrumbs, spreading an even, light layer to the top. Top breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese and lightly drizzle olive oil over the top of the casserole dish to make sure the breadcrumbs brown.

Cook in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are browned.

Mmmm....Macaroni n' Cha Cha Cheese!

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